Love and War
by Kira Evangeline
Summary: Avery, a childhood friend to Jak and Daxter, wishes for more action after saving the village alongside Jak. She may soon regret her thirst for adventure...JakXOC
1. Chapter 1

Alrighty, Chapter 1. New type of story for me, but I was dying to give it a go! Tell me how I did :)

I do not own Jak, Daxter, Samos, or anything else dealing with the game. Damnit.

I do, however, own my OC in every way, shape and form. Please enjoy, and please review!

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"Avery! Get your butt in here!"

"Oh dear…" The sigh came from a rather soft and exasperated voice. The young fourteen year old girl was sitting on the wood deck surrounding the raised hut, bare legs dangling over the edge. Her thin, tan sandals hung slightly off her feet with gravity, hanging on lightly with straps over her foot and wrapping up her leg in crossing sections. The tan sandals matched her tan shorts in shade, the fabric stopping loosely just above her knees. A darker brown belt wrapped around her hips, four pouches lining the left side of the belt and two holsters on the right, holding knives. The dark, forest green tank top stopped about an inch above the top of her shorts, showing a bit of her stomach. The neck swooped low, exposing the upper part of her chest and a fairly small amount of cleavage. Her face was round with clinging youth, features soft and beginning to show shape, long pointed ears growing into their size. Her lips were light pink and smooth, leading up to a small, rounded off nose. Her eyes were big pools of melted emerald with flecks of what looked like silver, which shined out most in the moonlight. Her skin was lightly tanned and creamy, evenly colored over her body. Finally, her silky hair was free, reaching just below her shoulder blades. The color started as a dark blue at her roots before turning almost immediately into a deep auburn. It curled up slightly at the ends while the body was fairly light and wavy. Her body, as a whole, was tiny and short. She was only a little over five feet tall and weighed about one hundred and ten pounds.

In her lap was a worn-out leather-bound book, open to a blank page. Her left hand kept the book secure while her right hand rested on the side, holding her writing utensil with the tip touching the page. She rolled her eyes, having been so close to entering her update to her personal journal. She closed it quickly, reaching to her right, and grabbing the tan bag and slipping the book inside quickly. She slipped her arms into the straps, the bag resting lightly against her as she pushed herself back, rolling over backwards and popping up onto her feet, inhaling deeply before stepping forward and making her way around the deck to the door. Walking in, she crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at the green sage. His white hair was wrapped around a log on his head. His skin was dark green from his work with the eco. He wore strange glasses, the left eye with an extra glass that acted as a magnifying piece. He had a beard that matched his hair and was equally bushy. For shoes, he had two short logs strapped to his large feet. His clothes seemed slightly primitive, a bit worn-in and definitely smudged with nature itself. The sage turned, revealing his wrinkled and tired face.

Oh, and he had a lovely yellow bird perched on his log.

"Avery, those boys have been gone half of the day! I sent them on one simple task; one I _thought_ would take them ten minutes." Avery smiled.

"Well, your first mistake was sending the two of them." She said playfully, her voice wavering a bit with light laughter. He glared.

"Well yes, I have already figured that out." He grumbled, turning around to look out his window.

"What did you need, Samos?" she asked, the smile fading from her lips. He turned back, an annoyed expression on his face.

"I saw fit to remind you that you _should_ be meditating right now. Just because _Jak_ has a natural talent for channeling the eco without meditation doesn't mean everyone does. You need to keep working on it before you get to that point." He pointed out, turning back to the window. Avery sighed, making her way to the opposite side of the hut.

"Sorry. I was just about to update my journal." She sat cross-legged on the ground, resting her hands on her knees and straightening her back.

"Focus, Avery. You may very well become a new sage if you keep it up." Samos sounded very proud, beaming at his student before turning and engaging in his own meditation, floating in midair. Avery cracked an eye open, observing the old man as he fell deeper into his own meditative cycle. With envious skill and grace, she slowly moved up to standing, backing up until she felt her back brush against the wall. She brought her left hand back to feel the edge of the window, her eyes still locked on the old man. With careful, slow movements, she heaved herself up on the round window, seated on it before turning slowly until her legs were on the other side. She gave one last look at Samos before pushing herself out the window, her feet barely making a sound upon hitting the deck. She crept over to the side and sat down on the edge, pushing her body over to land in a crouched position on the lower level.

"Avery!" Turning quickly, the girl nearly yelped at the sight of three teenagers around her age. One was a girl, well developed in every form of the word. She was almost as tall as the male, about five feet, four inches tall. Her hair was a greenish-blue and her eyes a vivid sage. The girl was very curvaceous, with wide hips and a well developed chest. Her skin was a bit tanner than Avery's, having spent more time in the sun. She wore a light purple top that showed her stomach and arms, leading down to leather arm guards from her elbows to wrists. Her pants were dark purple, short slits running up the outer sides at her ankles. Her leather boots matched her arm guards, and she wore a pair of goggles around her neck. She was slim and didn't seem to have all that much strength, though she wasn't pathetic either.

The male who stood, to Avery's chagrin, _very_ close to the girl was about five feet, six inches tall. His skin tone matched hers, and he was the same age of fifteen. His hair started as a dark green at the roots before bleeding almost immediately into a sun-bleached blond. It was long, though his hair tended to defy gravity and stood up in wisps, looking soft and fuzzy. His goggles were perched on the crown of his head, pushing his hair back slightly. He wore his signature blue shirt and tan shorts, leading down to thin brown sandals that wrapped up his leg with wide leather straps. His shirt was sleeveless, though he did have a wrap around his hands and wrists, as well as a thin silver armored plate on his left arm. A brown belt wrapped around his waist, matching his brown pack on his back that wrapped around to his chest, connected with a silver ring in the front, as well as an extra strap that went over his shoulder and also over another silver guard that matched the one on his arm. His face was beginning to look angled, though it still had rounded features due to his young age. His eyes were a striking cerulean blue that stared at Avery in amusement, his arms crossed over his chest and one green eyebrow raised in question.

Next to him on the ground, standing at a glorious two feet tall off the ground, was a smug looking ottsel. The ottsel had bright orange fur with a yellow underbelly, sporting his own goggles and a pair of brown fingerless gloves. He spoke first.

"Hey, darling! Escaping from the old man to have some more Daxter time, as usual?" Avery rolled her eyes, glaring as she put a finger in front of her mouth. She ducked into the lower level, approaching the three.

"I don't want to meditate today. I can already channel three of the five eco types through me. I deserve a break!" She hissed, keeping her voice low.

"Uhm, it's actually six."

"I know, Keira." Avery said, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, she grinned, grabbing the boy's arm. "So, how about we try and dig up an adventure, Jak!" He looked at Avery skeptically, and she groaned in response. "Look, I know we'd be hard pressed to find something as exciting as destroying Gal and Maia's evil plan…" She started, letting go of his arm and leaning against the wall. "But I'm dying to have some fun! Come on, you me and Dax, like old times!" there was excitement in her eyes, and Jak began looking uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to reply, averting his eyes, when Daxter jumped up onto his shoulder.

"Hey, forget him. He's no fun anymore!" Daxter jumped over to rest on Avery's shoulder, one paw on either side of her face, smooshing her cheeks together. "We can go! I like these quiet adventures anyway. Less chance of getting maimed!" He shuttered. Avery glared, swatting his paws away.

"It's not the same without you, Jak." Avery said softly, turning back to him. He frowned at her.

"Sorry, Avery, but Jak agreed to help me today with the door we found, and I need to finish this vehicle." Keira said, gesturing towards the strange thing she was working on. Avery sighed, a deflated expression taking over her features. Jak once again opened his mouth to say something, his eyes apologetic, hand reaching out toward her arm…but Daxter jumped in.

"Awh, forget 'em! Let's go have fun, Av!" Avery pushed herself off the wall, looking up at Daxter with a small smile.

"No, Dax, I'm not really feeling up to it anymore. Stay here and help Jake and Keira. Besides," She started, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and looking between Jak and Daxter. "The day you two get separated is the day the world ends." She laughed half-heartedly as Daxter gave her a sad look before crawling off her shoulder. "I'll be down at the beach if you guys need me." She said lightly, turning to leave.

"Awh, Jak, why do you have to ruin all the fun!" She smirked softly at Daxter's exclamation. She ran across the bridge, her first destination being her hut. It was the third hut on the left, regrettably close to the fisherman's hut. She entered quickly, spotting her father on the chair next to the door almost immediately.

"Avery!" He stood up, opening his arms wide. With a smile she embraced him tightly, trying to ignore the feeling of being crushed as he returned it. "What are you doing back here so early?" She stepped back, looking up into his eyes. "I thought you were going to meditate and then see Jak and Daxter." Avery bit her lip, shuffling.

"Well, Jak is busy, and it's not the same without him. I just came back for my sketchpad and then I will be going to the beach." His eyes widened.

"On your own?" She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Dad, I just saved the village alongside Jak and Daxter. I think I can handle a couple crabs and puppies." She said, laughing. He smiled.

"I suppose you are right." He said, watching as she ran over to her room, grabbing the book off her bed and shoving it into her bag. "_Do_ be careful." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder as she came to stand in front of him again. She smiled.

"I will dad." She confirmed, nodding her head. She stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving her hut, about to move in the direction of the beach when she stopped. She looked to her right, contemplating her destination. It was nearly sunset, meaning the beach would be reflecting a harsh light at her. She never thought the beach was all that pretty in sunset, not to mention all the annoyances around the area.

The entrance to the forest, however, was beautiful and not very dangerous. She looked in through the window of her hut to see her dad sitting back in his chair. Grinning, she changed directions and began running toward the Yakow farm. It only took her a minute to get there, letting gravity assist her down the hill as she jumped onto the sandy beach area. The Yakows were in the pen, the farmer sleeping on his normal bale of hay. Avery moved passed quickly, running across the beach and only stopping to observe the water. The reflection of the sun was not so harsh on this end of the island, allowing her to see a pure reflection of color. She climbed the rocks quickly to get to the top of the first strip of land, sitting on the edge facing the vast water body. The reflections of the sun turned to a narrow ripple as the wind pushed the waves into motion. Avery shoved the bag off of her shoulders, putting it next to her on the ground and reaching a hand inside. She drew out both books, putting the sketchbook next to her and opening the journal, flipping through to the blank page. She picked up her pencil and put it down on the page, about to write when she stopped.

There wasn't anything worth writing about that week. Things had been quiet and calm. Jak and Daxter had been working with Keira, Avery had been working with Samos, and everything else was all well and good. The boring Sandover Village had returned.

Avery sighed, about to shut the book when a sudden urge came over her. She put down the pencil and turned to the front of the book, flipping through. She scanned the writing, rereading her life. Her mother, Raya, had given her the journal as a present on her ninth birthday. Therefore, the first nine entries were written by her mother, recording the first nine years of her life. The exact dates were recorded for big events, such as birth, crawling, talking, walking, etcetera. Her mother acted as if it were her journal, adding in lines such as "I'm so proud of my daughter" and so on and so forth.

Avery met Daxter when she was six. Jak came into the picture when she was nine. Jak, Daxter, and Keira were all one year older than her, and tended to gravitate towards each other as a trio. Keira and Avery were good friends when they were incredibly young, Samos and Raya were rather close, and Keira was under Samos's care. As they got older, Keira became more interested in mechanics and knowledge while Avery veered off toward art and training for dance and, later, combat.

Avery stopped on one page that she wrote when she was thirteen, one year ago. It was the entry where she first realized she liked Jak. Having nothing better to write about, she lamented the fact that Jak followed Keira around like a lost puppy whenever he wasn't 'adventuring'. Avery smiled at the last section of the entry.

_"Ah, who cares? No guy will ever rule my life, what's the use in getting all mopey and boring."_ She laughed softly, turning the pages and scanning more pages.

She would record all of the trouble the boys and herself would get into and how Daxter could always talk their way out of it. Most adventures turned into misbehaving, because there was simply no adventure to be had. They were all so comfortable with the 'dangers' the island had to offer, that it was simply boring to even think about it. The poisonous snakes in the forest and the sand serpents in the beach did nothing to spark their interests.

Finally, Avery reached the last entry. It described in detail every adventure that took place the week before this, from the moment Daxter returned as an Ottsel to the moment Jak and Keira almost kissed.

She wrote that down to remind herself what a good friend Daxter was. Upon stealing her journal once, Daxter had found out about her crush on Jak, and hung it over her head anytime he needed something. At the moment everyone noticed the two about to kiss, Daxter had looked up at Avery and saw the jealous and pained expression on her face. He had disrupted their kiss, and Avery couldn't remember the last time she wanted to hug Daxter so tightly.

Since then, the two had not openly tried to rekindle the moment, much to Avery's relief. Avery had decided long ago that she would be okay only if she didn't have to see their affections toward one another.

She closed her journal and picked up her sketchpad, flipping through the pages. She had drawn most of the beautiful parts of the island, including the waterscapes and strange creatures. In the very beginning of the book, she had drawings of Jak and Daxter from two years ago.

Recently she had been working on a drawing of Jak channeling light eco, a sight that was burned into her mind. He glowed white, and silver seemed to radiate off of him. His eyes were still cerulean, but glowed with a brilliance unknown to the world. She wished it lasted longer so she could stare, the main reason for drawing the image in her head.

The basic outlines were finished, as well as the shadow of the silvery glow that would surround him. His facial features were also drawn very basically, and she began working on his clothes. The process took a couple hours, leaving her to draw in the moonlight. She smiled and sighed once the outlines of his clothing was finished, holding it up to look at it. She could clearly see his image over her drawing and smiled.

"All you're missing is an ottsel on your shoulder." She said softly, giggling.

"Avery!" Avery jumped at the call, looking around frantically to find the one who called her. She knew it was Daxter by the shrill tone of his voice. Finally she leaned down, looking over the edge of the land she sat on. Jak and Daxter stood under her, looking up. "Come down!" Daxter yelled, and she sighed, collecting her items and placing them back into her bag. She put the bag on her back before turning to lower herself down on the rocks. She climbed down about half the way before her foot slipped, her hands slipping and her body falling. She let out a short scream of surprise, squeezing her eyes shut to prepare for pain. "Av!"

Instead, she felt her fall being stopped as something caught her. She opened one eye first, catching Jak's gaze before she opened the other, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh…thank you, Jak." She mumbled, blushing slightly. He smirked, nodding at her and letting her off.

"Geez Av, you're gonna get yourself killed!" Daxter yelled. She rolled her eyes, brushing her clothes off.

"You say that all the time Dax, and I'm definitely still alive." She said, grinning at him.

"Yeah, that's because _we_ always save you." Jak raised an eyebrow at Daxter.

"No, Jak always saves me, and then _we_ always save _you_!" She corrected. Jak laughed in agreement. "Anyway, what are you guys doing here?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips as she addressed the two.

"Looking for you! Keira is finished! We went to your house first, than the beach. Jak was afraid you went into the forest alone." Avery raised an eyebrow, looking from the shocking orange creature to the blond haired boy with annoyance.

"I can take care of myself." She said, her voice bored.

"Yeah yeah, anyway!" Daxter jumped onto her shoulder. "We want you to be there tomorrow when we start the baby up! What do ya say?" Avery looked into his eager eyes for a moment, biting her lip.

"Uhm…I'm not sure…" Avery looked over at Jak, who gave her a small smile with hope in his eyes. She couldn't resist that look. She sighed out her response, letting a smile slowly grow on her lips.

"Alright."

"Yes!" Daxter jumped from her back to Jak, and the two teens began walking back to the village. "Why didn't you two wait until tomorrow anyway?" She asked, looking up at the young moon. She smiled lightly.

"Your dad was worried about ya." Daxter replied, jumping off of Jak's shoulder to walk on his own. Avery nodded, looking back at the path. They were already in the village, and they stopped outside of Jak's hut, his uncle inside going over maps and the like.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow than." She said, smiling at Jak. He nodded and gave a single wave before entering the hut. She sighed, walking across the small plot of land to enter her own hut. Her father was asleep on the chair, and Avery smiled. She shut off all of the lights before making her way into her room. She undressed quickly, throwing on a nightshirt before burrowing herself deep under the blankets. With a sigh, she let herself fall asleep quickly before her thoughts could wander to the events of the next day.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late!" Avery flew across the last bridge as she yelled, claiming everyone's attention. Daxter and Jak laughed quietly as Samos glared. Keira rolled her eyes, though she didn't stop working. Avery stopped only two feet away from everyone, adjusting the bag on her back and breathing heavily. "Slept in. Jak, I thought you'd come to get me." She said, looking over at him with half confusion and half accusation. He shrugged. "Right." She muttered, rolling her eyes before looking at the huge gate in direct line to the vehicle Keira was working on. "Whoa." Her voice was soft and airy as she took a couple steps near it.

"Today's the big day, Jak. I hope you're prepared…for whatever happens." Samos's voice dropped in tone towards the end, and Avery turned to give the old sage a confused glance.

"I think I figured out most of this machine." Keira said, gaining their attention. "It interacts somehow with that large Precursor Ring." Avery rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip as Keira set herself in the far left seat. "I just hope we didn't break anything moving it here to the lab." Jak sat down next to her, looking as if he was about to do something, before Daxter popped up between them.

"Easy for _you_ to say! _We _did all the heavy lifting!" Avery cleared her throat.

"_Jak_ did all the heavy lifting." She pointed out, smirking at Daxter. Jak smiled to her as she came over and sat down next to him, looking at all the buttons and items on the vehicle. Daxter started reaching for something.

"Daxter!" The ottsel pulled back in alarm. "Don't touch anything! Though the precursors vanished long ago," Jak, Daxter and Avery all rolled their eyes. "The artifacts they left behind can still do great harm."

"Or great good!" Keira said optimistically. "_If_ you figure out how to use them." Samos got onto the vehicle, sitting next to Avery. She shifted uncomfortably. Not only was there barely enough room, but she was practically sitting on Jak. Her cheeks warmed at the realization. Jak, however, was unconcerned. He was reaching forward hesitantly, his eyes locked on a button with a strange marking on it. He finally pushed it, and some device near Keira opened.

"Looks like Jak's still got the mojo!" Daxter cheered, and Jak smirked.

"Interesting…" Keira leaned forward. "It appears to be reading out some preset coordinates." The map closed suddenly, followed by a rumbling noise and the vehicle shaking. Avery leaned in towards Jak anxiously.

"Uhhh…Jak?" Suddenly, the gate broke free from the wooden launcher and began floating in the air, pieces coming off of it and floating around it. The sky darkened and a purple tint took over, causing Avery to press even farther against the back of her seat. "Jak!"

"Wow, look at that!" Daxter yelled, the only one excited by the events. Avery felt Jak relax next to her, turning back at her to smile. The moment was short lived as a deep voice came from the gate.

"Finally! The last Rift Gate has been opened!" Creatures began flying out of the gate and Avery yelped, ducking as one flew over them.

"What are those things?" Daxter shrieked

"So _this_ is how it happened…" Avery turned to Samos with a panicked expression, wondering how he could look so calm.

"Do something, Jak!" Keira finally screamed, and Daxter started pressing buttons.

"What's this do? Or that! How 'bout this one? Everybody, press all the buttons!"

"You cannot hide from me boy!" Avery grabbed Jak's arm and squeezed it, looking up into his equally wide eyes.

"What do we do?" She asked, her knuckles turned white from her grip. He frowned, searching the buttons before looking back at the button he hit earlier. He slammed his hand into it, and suddenly the vehicle was propelled forward toward the gate and monster hanging out of it. Avery shut her eyes as they passed the creature, entering an area of colors passing by them at incredible speeds. Avery could barely hear Keira's voice as she yelled over the noise.

"Hang on everyone!" Samos yelled, sounding a million miles away. Daxter started screaming his displeasure, and Avery ended up wrapping her arms around Jak's right arm, moving her head to the side and shutting her eyes.

"Look out!" Suddenly everyone was propelled off the vehicle, Keira screaming loudly. Avery yelped, her hands slipping from Jak. He turned, grabbing her hand and holding on, Daxter hanging on to his shoulder.

"Avery! Hang on!" Daxter yelled.

"Find yourself, Jak!" Samos's yell was barely heard over the noise, and Avery locked eyes with Jak as her hand slipped. She tumbled through the air, Screaming as she felt a sudden pull. The tunnel of colors narrowed and she shielded her face with her arms, squinting against the bright light. She was suddenly thrust out of the tunnel, feeling the familiar downward pull of gravity. She landed on the ground hard, bouncing and rolling a few times. She grunted in pain at each hit, letting out a soft moan as she landed on her back. She removed her arms from her face, opening her eyes to be met with a dark sky. No moon was out, but city lights shined harshly on her. She sat up, looking around in confusion and ignoring the pain that shot up her back. She looked around, searching for _anybody_ that she'd know.

"Jak?" She saw no one, except for people who most likely lived there, paying no mind to her. A man passed by her without a glance, and she raised an eyebrow at his back. "Excuse me!" She called, pushing herself up with a groan as her hips protested. The man didn't even falter. "Hey, you!" He seemed to pick up his pace a bit, and Avery frowned. "I need…help…" She muttered, turning on the spot. She spotted a woman walking with her hand enclosed around a child's, stopping at what seemed to be a shop. Avery took several slow steps forward before running to get to them. "Hey, excuse me!" The woman turned to see her approaching. She suddenly looked very frightened, grabbing the child's hand and beginning to walk the other way. "Hey!"

"Leave us alone!" She yelled back, stopping Avery dead in her tracks.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked harshly, looking around. Still, not a soul looked at her. She sighed, looking down a road that was nearby. "Might as well try to find the others…" She took off with a slow walk, looking for any sign of her friends.

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Well there it is, the verrrry first chapter. Please review, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll have fun writing it, that's for sure!

See You All Next Update 3

P.s. I make no promises with update speed. I work on stories as inspiration comes to me, and I currently have...6(?) active stories for six different works of fiction :) It comes and goes...but the more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to update quickly!

3


	2. Chapter 2

Yaaaaay chapter 2! Fairly quick update, I think, and I very much enjoyed writing the first scene. Don't forget to review!

**Spirit01: **Thanks! I was worried it..well, sucked. Lol.

**Taz-dragon:** Well, here it is! I hope you like it!

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Jak groaned, his eyes stinging as they opened to the cold, dry air of the prison. His head soon followed suit, pounding and sending nauseating shocks through him with intensity. The cell was barely lit, the air thick and moist. The silence was suffocating, allowing him to hear the faint rushing of blood in his ears. His heart hammered against his ribcage as full consciousness hit him, reminding him of what had knocked him out.

They had taken him into an empty, round room. There was a chair in the very center on raised platforms, connected to some sort of device. Having still been recovering from capture, they had strapped him to the chair with little issue, leaving him with their commander, the man who first approached him. The next hours held the worse pain he had ever experienced in his life.

The first feeling to hit him had been the surface pain. The dark eco bit his flesh, feeling as if dull knives were cutting their way through him. The second feeling was the pain of his muscles tensing all at once, starting with a dull ache and turning into a tight pain that left him begging for even a second of release. Finally, the last pain came from a burning inside, feeling as if electricity was running through his veins and meeting to run down his spine. All logical thought and awareness left him as a scream tore from him, burning his throat. His body thrashed violently against the straps around his ankles and wrists and his wide eyes stared up at the blinding white light above him. All senses were shut down as the first wave was completed, his body falling limp. The world blurred around him and he felt nausea and pain ring through him. The process had only lasted a few minutes. He had many more sessions to go.

Now he sat in his cell after having eventually passed out from pain, feeling the after effects deep in his muscles. His body shook and he felt week. He took a deep breath, his lungs burning in protest as they expanded, causing him to break out into a fit of coughs, which only made his pounding headache grow in intensity. He groaned, attempting not to move. That all changed when the sounds of boots hitting the floor in even steps approached him. He shut his eyes as they reached his cell, three of them, opening the door and stepping inside.

"Get up." He heard a gun loading, incentive for him to move. He opened his eyes to stare up the barrel of one, wincing at the new wave of nausea. With gritted teeth and hisses of pain, Jak rolled from his position on his back to his stomach, fighting with his weak muscles to pick himself up. He pushed himself up slowly, trying to gain enough leverage to kneel, but only succeeded in falling. After two failed attempts, a guard stepped over, kicking him hard, his boot digging into his stomach and rolling him back onto his back. Jak couldn't even glare, his eyes closing with exhaustion. Two hands on each arm eventually pulled him up and dragged his limp body to their destination: the chair.

He knew that was what they were there for. He had hoped it was something different, anything else. He was sure he could handle anything else.

They dropped him into the chair, and he opened his eyes halfway as the commander began typing into a computer. Instead of straps, metal rings came up and met tightly around his wrists and ankles, and he turned around with a smirk.

"Surprising strength, I must say. You destroyed the straps just before falling unconscious yesterday." He approached Jak, looking down at him. "They were right about you. You're the first one ever to survive a full session of eco injection. Let's hope you _keep_ surviving." He moved back over to the computer, and Jak's heart sped up as the machinery above him, some kind of machine holding nearly a hundred needle-like arms, began turning rapidly.

"Dark Eco Injection Cycle initiated. Process beginning in five, four," Jak summoned whatever strength he could and began pulling at the rings to get free. "three, two," He stopped, looking up at the massive ball of dark purple eco forming above him. His heart skipped and dread took over his entire being. "one."

* * *

Avery walked down the dock section of the city, looking down at the dirty water and frowning. It looked black with muck and completely still, eerily so. The sunlight didn't seem to reflect off of the surface at all, only getting swallowed up in its emptiness. She shuddered, looking away from the water. The whole city seemed lifeless and depressing.

She was sure she had traveled in every place accessible, and still she had found no sign of Jak or Daxter. She would never be able to miss Samos, and she could guess that Keira was just fine. No, she was concerned for the troublesome duo.

She reached the city grounds again, frowning at the group of passing guards. They were heavily dressed in red armor. The Krimzon Guard, she had been told. After aimlessly wandering the city for the night, she had found some citizens who were willing to speak to her. They told her the guards were pressing the rule of the Baron, who was a cruel ruler. The guards were equally cruel, and would kill anyone for anything they found suspicious.

She shied away from them, moving herself back toward the docks. However, a single guard was approaching her from that side as well. She put her head down, moving back to try and look inconspicuous. The group of KG's passed by her with no problem. The one, however.

Avery began walking away from the docks when a hand fell on her shoulder. She jumped, whipping her head around to see the KG. She gasped, ripping out of his grasp and turning to run.

"Wait!" She stopped, hearing a gun load. She turned, looking down the barrel. "I just want to talk." His voice was rough, more of a whisper than anything. He put down the gun as she looked up at his mask. "Follow me." He said, walking past her. He turned around and stared at her motionless form, growling as she stood still. "Unless you want to get arrested." She raised an eyebrow, one hand coming up to rest on her hip near one of her knives. They were used for hunting and cutting fabric, but self-defense would do. She walked forward, following him as he led to a vehicle. He hoped in the driver's side, looking over at her expectantly. "Get in." She hesitated for a moment before putting her hands on the side of the vehicle and pushing herself up and into the seat. He started it, and she yelped as they suddenly began floating up.

"What the hell is this thing?" She asked, her voice just loud enough to be heard. She looked over the edge, watching the people walking underneath them. There were several other vehicles similar in the air around them.

"It's a hellcat cruiser, the trademark zoomer of the Guard." He answered, not even looking at her. She nodded, looking straight again. They were approaching a transparent wall that seemed lined in green, and she shut her eyes as they went through, surprised they did not crash. "Where did you come from?" He took off his helmet, and she was met with the sight of a very angled face marred with tattoos. His brown hair was tied in thick braids and then tied back together. His eyes a dull blue that glanced slightly at her as he asked. "Well?" He was obviously impatient, and an annoyed expression took over his features rather quickly.

"Why aren't you killing me?" She finally asked, looking at him with curiosity. He met her gaze with wide, surprised eyes for a moment before shaking his head and looking forward.

"We'll talk when we arrive at the hideout."

The ride took about ten more minutes, but Avery paid no attention to that. She was looking around at what the man called the slums. This section of the city looked horrible; streets cracked, pipes broken, buildings crumbling. There was a faint smell of sewage and smoke, and guards were double in this area. It wasn't long before he stopped the cruiser outside of a single dead end road. Avery stood as he did, taking it as her cue to get out.

"We need to do some walking. Come on." He said, putting his helmet back on. He led the way down a narrow street, avoiding wide cracks in the road and people dressed poorly sitting against the walls. She frowned as she passed a child, huddled against the wall and shivering. "In here." Avery turned back toward the man, standing next to an open door. She entered, ignoring the urge to go help the child. The guard walked in behind her and passed her, taking off his helmet and armor. "Now. What's your name?" He asked, sitting on a bunk as he removed his effects. Avery stayed in the doorway, watching him carefully.

"I don't know, what's yours?" He growled, standing up.

"If you want help, you better start answering my questions!" She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Just _how_ can _you_ help _me_?" She asked, looking over him. His arms were muscular, from what she could see, and his skin was as pale as hers. He wore thin clothing under the armor, simple tan colors and a scarf around his neck.

"Well, I can start by not killing you. Now answer my question!" He said, getting close to her and backing her into the wall. Despite her urge to disobey, she chose to simply return his glare.

"Avery."

"Where are you from?"

"Sandover Village." He raised an eyebrow, walking into the room away from her and toward a table.

"Yesterday you landed in the middle of the city. How did you get in?" He leaned over a table, looking at a map intensely.

"I don't know. One moment I'm in my village, the next, we're going through something called a Rift Gate," He looked up at her in surprise. "and now I'm here. I'm looking for my friends." She finished, pushing herself away from the wall.

"A Rift Gate? Your friends could be anywhere….in any time." He muttered, scanning the page before looking up. "This is the hideout for the Underground. I'm an ex guard, fighting against the Baron and his unjust methods." He explained, standing straight. "My name is Torn. Our leader is the Shadow." He walked around to the front of the table, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll make this offer to you once. We need people in the fight against the Baron, someone who is passionate. Along the way, you might find your friends." Avery's eyes widened in surprise.

"But, I can't fight. Not well," she muttered, looking down. Torn raised an eyebrow.

"We'll train you." He smirked. "You have potential, I can tell. What about it?" She looked back up, looking into his eyes for a moment.

"I'll do anything to find my friends." Torn smirked.

"I've got a few things in mind for you…" He froze for a moment. "You'll need a different name."

* * *

"You need to shoot the ropes at the top of the tower. It's what's holding it up." Avery raised her pistol in her right hand, left hand under the butt of the device to steady her aim. The communication unit floated just to her left, Torn's face on the screen. She closed one eye to zero in on the target. "Don't miss." She squeezed the trigger, the yellow blast of eco shooting from the barrel and flying towards the building in less than a second. The rope broke with a loud snap, the effect slow as it fell and the tower wavered slightly with its lack of support.

"One down." She said, shoving the pistol into its holster and running across the platform she was on. She reached the edge, pushing off as hard as she could and reaching out for the next platform. She hit the edge, gripping it tightly and grunting as she pulled herself up.

"Hey, try not to die from a misstep!" She growled as she stood, glaring at him through the unit.

"Shut up. It's hard to jump between moving platforms." She looked over the edge at the acidic mud beneath her.

"Just get done and come back! Two more left." He growled, ending the session. The comm. Unit returned to the pouch on her hip as she sighed. She braced herself for another leap, taking off at a full run and jumping. This time she landed on her feet at the last platform, fighting to regain balance as she took several more steps forward. A grunt from her right caught her attention, and she looked up to see an ugly creature approaching her. The Grunt Metalhead was looking at her, breathing heavily. He crouched down on his four legs, sniffing the air. Avery reached behind her to wrap her hand around a staff, ripping it out of its holder and swinging it in front of her as the creature attempted to pounce on her. She yelped as its weight threw her back.

"Damnit!" She pushed herself up, reaching for the pistol and holding it out, aiming for its head. She shot as it pounced forward, stopping it halfway. She watched as it collapsed, purple blood pooling around its head, which twitched on the ground. She walked up to the creature, observing the yellow, glowing gem in its skull. She pulled out a dagger, scowling. "Waste not, want not." She mumbled, kneeling down and beginning the task of cutting the gem out. The process took less than two minutes, and she growled as she fought the burning sensation of the dark eco in the creature's blood burning through her gloves. Finally, the gem was removed and placed immediately in the pouch on her belt. "Two ropes. Back to business." She returned everything to its proper place and continued through the sandy shore, looking up at the tower. With a smirk, she took out her pistol and took the familiar aiming position, shutting one eye before squeezing the trigger, a grin overtaking her features as the rope snapped and broke. She holstered her gun, following the last rope with her eyes. Up until now, she had shot them at the point they latched onto. This rope, however, was close by. Avery looked at the wall to her left, made of old buildings collapsed on top of one another. She smirked, grabbing onto the stones. She took her time, ignoring the pain in her arms as they protested. Rocks threatened to be unstable under her weight, and yet she pushed on until she hit the top, pulling herself up. The final rope latched onto the top, and Avery pulled out her gun and shot it quickly, the rope snapping in response. She took out her comm. Unit, opening up a session with Torn.

"Good news?"

"All finished. All you need to do is give the orders and I'll press this lovely button here!" She said enthusiastically, pulling out a remote he had given her upon leaving for the mission. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just get it done and come back." Avery gave a salute before ending the session, looking at the remote in her hand. There was a knob on the top with several numbers around it and a blue button on the bottom.

"Alrighty, turn it up to five," she muttered, turning the knob to the desired number. "And press the big blue button!" She pressed it, and a bomb exploded at the bottom of the tower, causing it to lean far to the left. Without its supports, the tower fell victim to gravity and crumbled, leaving behind a mess of smoke and ruble. "All in a day's work!" She exclaimed, turning around on the spot and walking confidently to the side. "Now just have to get home." She reached into a pouch on her belt, taking out a small rectangle. She pushed the single button, allowing it to grow in her hands. It became a thin hover Board, causing her to grin as she jumped onto the device and cheered, hovering over the wall to the end near the city gate. With a loud "whoop!" She jumped off the edge, laughing as the wind rushed passed her. She hit the ground, the board scraping the dirt before popping back up to hover as she sped her way to the gate. It opened just in time as she sped through, nearly scraping her arm on the rusting metal edges. She stopped in the middle of the decontamination unit, waiting quite impatiently for the door to open. "Come on!" The moment the door opened she was out, speeding through the streets as quickly as possible. She didn't care to find a zoomer, bending low on her board as she dodged the many people walking aimlessly through the streets. She was back at the underground in fifteen minutes, riding down the stairs on the hover board before hopping off at the bottom. Torn glared at her darkly as she picked it up and put it away.

"Having fun?" He asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at her. She grinned, shoving the tiny rectangle back into the pouch.

"As always!" She said, approaching the table at which he stood. He rolled his eyes.

"Good, I have another mission for you." She leaned over the table, looking at the map. He pointed to a spot on the map, and she leaned over, scanning it as best she could. "It's an ammo dump in the fortress. We need it to be taken care of, gone, but it's heavily guarded. It'll be a huge blow on the Baron, and an advantage for us."He looked up, catching her eyes. "Be careful." He said, sincerity in his eyes. Avery was surprised. Torn was a hardass who pretended as if no one mattered. They had become close in the last year and a half, or as close as they would let each other. Avery respected him as her teacher. Before being so high in the underground, he had taken the time to teach her how to shoot and fend for herself, as well as how to drive a zoomer. He respected her for her ability to learn quickly. She was optimistic and brought life into the underground when all began to seem hopeless. She drove them forward, and was an extremely talented fighter. She was their go-to for the dangerous missions. Like this one.

Avery smiled at him. "Of course, Torn. Always. However," She unclipped the comm. unit from her belt, holding it out for him to take. "Entirely precautionary." He nodded once, giving her a blank look as he took her unit.

"It leaves you now way to contact us." He stated the obvious in a failed attempt to convince her it was a bad idea.

"And no way for them to trace you and the rest of the underground. I'll be _fine_, Torn." She smirked. "If I'm not back in a day, you can send in the cavalry." She said, walking away casually. "All three of them."

"Just don't get yourself _killed_." She waved over her shoulder before leaving the underground, headed for the zoomer around the corner.

* * *

Reeeeviiiiiiieeeeewwwwwww because you love meh ^.^ Hope you liked it!

SYANU


	3. Chapter 3

Here we are, once again opening up with Jak! Made this section quick to keep both main chars in the story.

I'dlike to thank **Spirit01** and **Taz-dragon** for reviewing again! I'm glad you two like the story ^.^

I do not own anything except Avery.

* * *

"Dark Eco injection cycle complete." Jak's entire body fell limp as he gasped for air. "Bio readings nominal and unchanged." His senses slowly began to return to him, fading in and out as he fought to stay conscious. His muscles ached and the splitting headache kept him connected to reality, despite his extreme exhaustion. He felt his hair pulled and opened his eyes halfway to view the yelling face of the Baron. He attempted to scowl, though his exhaustion stopped him halfway through the process. He finally got a hold of his breathing, taking even breaths as the pain in his muscles became more pronounced. He was suddenly pulled up by the front of his prison shirt, and he forced his eyes open again to see Erol, looking at him smugly. He said something that was obviously menacing, but Jak could understand none of it. He was dropped again, his head hitting the table and sending a fresh wave of pain through his skull. He felt his senses dulling again, any straining muscles finally relaxing. In a few moments, he knew, he would be blissfully unaware of this awful place. The dull ache left his awareness now, and he felt his mind slipping…

And then a sharp pain jolted him up and caused him to remember all the pain in his body as he jerked up. A fleeting thought of why he felt as if his valuables had been punched entered his mind, but it was quickly replaced with the question of why he was being shaken. He opened his eyes, but they only revealed a blurry mass of orange and gray. He closed his eyes tight, shaking his head lightly to try and regain full consciousness. As he came to, he felt a rather familiar anger running through him, as was usual after such treatments.

"Say something!" Jak opened his eyes, growling.

"I'm going to kill Praxis!" A hand was put over his mouth to silence him, and he glared vehemently at them, not quite taking notice to who exactly was speaking to him. He felt slight anger turn into full fury, his breaths coming deep and slow. His rage consumed him, and with a feral cry, he freed himself of the shackles with a strength he didn't know existed. He jumped off the table, his legs protesting for a moment. He stood up straight, looking at the creature in front of him. It backed away out of fear, causing a strange pleasure to run through him. He wanted it to beg, to bleed. He approached it, wanting to cause pain, wanting to hurt everyone involved in his own.

"Itt's your old pal, Daxter, remember?" The plea for recognition barely reached Jak's logical mind, which had been shut down. Now, however, he seemed to connect back with himself, working to remember why the name sounded so familiar. Feral instinct drove Jak to pull his clawed hand back, letting out a cry as he pushed his hand forward to sink his claws into the creature….but then it clicked.

"Daxter?" Jak felt a strange sensation take over his body and he staggered a bit as a mix of pain and nausea came over him. He brought his hand up to his head as the pounding sensation returned. The orange ottsel relaxed, looking up at his old friend.

"What the _heck_ was that? Sheesh! Remind me not to piss you off! Come on, tall, dark and gruesome. We're outta here!" Daxter picked up a pile of clothing, throwing it to Jak. "I, uh, brought you some new threads. Put 'em on!"

* * *

"Look Jak, there's the exit!" Jak rolled his eyes as Daxter pointed out the obvious for the seventh time that hour. They had escaped the guards and were now in some kind of old storage room that was forgotten and filled with water. Jak climbed a pile of box's, jumping up from the top one to just barely reach the window ledge. With a grunt of effort, Jak pulled himself up and kicked through the glass, swinging his body out of the window. He landed in a kneeling position on the ground, one hand flat on the ground to keep him balanced. He stood, looking around at the city surrounding him. "Nice to breathe some fresh air again, huh buddy?"

"Where are the others?" The sudden question caught Daxter off guard, and he nearly slipped off of Jak's shoulder.

"Eh, funny, that. I haven't seen any of them at all. I wasn't looking, either." Daxter admitted, shrugging it off. Jak rolled his eyes before they caught a strange vehicle in the sky.

"A zoomer?" He stared up at it as he continued walking, until he felt a hand rest on his arm.

"Hello strangers." Jak moved to the side around the old man, hoping to convey the message that he was not interested in conversation.

No such luck.

"My name is Kor." He said, using his walking stick to help him catch up. "May I help…" Jak let out a breath of annoyance before glaring, approaching the man and cutting him off.

"You look like a reasonably smart man. I want information! Where the hell am I?" He asked, gesturing toward the city. Daxter jumped off his shoulder, approaching a kid Jak hadn't noticed at first.

"Ah, sorry. He's new to the whole…conversation thing."

"Well, my angry young friend, you are a _guest_ of his _majesty_ Baron Praxis, the ruler of _glorious_ Haven City." The sarcasm in his voice was easily detected, and it only fueled Jak's foul mood.

"I was just a _guest_ in the good Baron's prison."

"Inside a cell or inside the city, walls surround us both. We are all his prisoners." The group looked up suddenly to the sound of armored boots hitting the ground. Kor suddenly became nervous, gesturing for the boy to follow him. "Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'd move on if I were you." Jak and Daxter stayed still, watching the guards approach with mild interest.

"By order of his eminence, the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, everyone in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring underground fugitives. Surrender and die!"

"Ah, excuse me, sir," Daxter stepped forward. "Don't you mean surrender, _or_ die?"

"Not in this city! Protect us from these guards, and I'll introduce you to someone who could help you!" Jak looked ahead with determination at the guards as Daxter jumped back up onto his shoulder.

* * *

Daxter cheered as Jak parked the zoomer, jumping off and starting his way down the alley.

"You know, if it weren't for the metalheads, I would stay outside of this dump." Daxter said, leaning against Jak's head. He gave a frustrated sigh, though it was driven by amusement.

"What happened to being the big bad hero who took out metalheads all his own for two years?" He asked sarcastically, approaching the familiar door to the underground.

They had met Torn and proven themselves to him, and now were coming back from their first real mission: turning on the water for the slums.

"Ah, well, I deserve a break. Besides, you need to get back into top physical shape again!" Jak glared at Daxter.

"Right." The door slid open and they descended the stairs quickly.

"The slums water is back on!" Torn said enthusiastically, not even turning around to confirm that it was in fact the duo coming up behind him. "I'd love to see the heads roll when the Baron finds out!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he's losing lots of sleep over this arm-pit of the city." Jak couldn't help but to scowl. "We've done what you've asked. Now, when do we see the Shadow?" Torn turned with his own.

"When I say so, _if_ I say so. But before I even _think_ about it, I have another mission for you." Jak rolled his eyes and approached the table, looking down at the map.

"I want you to take care of an ammo dump we've I.D'd in the Fortress." He pointed to the spot on the map. "Lots of Krimzon Guards, constant patrols. We know it's vulnerable, and the underground needs _you_ to blow up all the ammo you find inside." Torn threw his arm back in emphasis, hitting Daxter nearly off the table. "Get _all_ of it, and we'll deal a body blow to the Baron."

"You're sending _us_ in, tough guy! So what's with this 'we'll deal a body blow' stuff?"

"That's fine." Jak cut Daxter off, smirking. "I _want_ the Baron to know that it's _me_ who's hurting him." He said, bringing his fist down hard on the table for emphasis.

"Wait, there's another part to this." Torn said, gesturing back to the map. "Three months ago, I sent our best shot to the fortress for the same mission. My contact in the guard tells me they captured her and put her in the lower cells." He pointed to a spot on the map, a few turns away from the ammo. "It's off the path, but not too bad. Get her on the way."

"Does she have a name?" Jak asked, one eyebrow raised. Torn gave him a sharp look.

"Kit. Get her back." Jak nodded once as Daxter jumped back onto his shoulder.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry! _We're_ on the job!" The door slid closed and Jak jogged up to a zoomer. "So, a _girl_. A damsel in distress. A dame in discomfort! A honey with a-"

"Dax!" The ottsel jumped as he was suddenly interrupted. "Get the map and tell me where to go." Daxter glared as he buried his arm into the bag on Jak's back, pulling out a small map. Jak started up the zoomer, switching to the upper hover zone immediately.

"Okay, let's see here." Daxter turned the map around several times, losing his grip at one point and having the map slap against his face. He growled, pulling it back. "You want to make a left, _no!_ Make a right…or is that straight?" Jak rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Right! It's definitely right!"

"Fine." Jak took off, speeding out of the alley with Daxter screaming behind him.

"Slow down!" Jak took a sharp right, following the road that the buildings set and weaving through the far slower traffic. "Left! Go left!" Jak felt Daxter gripping his hair and pulling him in the direction, causing Jak to smirk. He turned, the red fortress door coming into view.

"There it is." He pulled up outside of it, jumping off the zoomer and turning his head to look at Daxter. He was currently gripping Jak's neck tightly with fearful, wide eyes. He slowly let go, scurrying off of Jak's shoulder.

"I think I'll….just…stay down here." Jak smirked, climbing the ramp that led up to the door. It slid open automatically, letting them in without struggle. "well…that was easy." Daxter ran in front of Jak and the two entered, the first thing to catch their sight being a huge tank. The wheels, covered with spikes, turned in idle movement while the gun pointed straight forward. "Please tell me that thing is off!"

"Shh!" Jak walked forward slowly, observing the tank. It didn't move, and the gun didn't try to reposition.

"So much for heavily guarded." Jak snickered at Daxter's comment, looking around at the door blocked by lasers.

"Guess we're not going that way." He muttered, putting his hands on his hips.

"Hey, Jak, through here!" Jak turned to see Daxter pointing to an open archway. It had similar pillars for electricity guards, but they were off. "Let's go get that girl!" Jak shook his head, smiling as he joined Daxter. He jumped on his shoulder, resting an elbow on his head. Suddenly, an alarm started going off, a computerized voice Jak knew all too well making an announcement.

"Unauthorized use of door." They heard movement behind them, and Jak spared a glance back to see the tank moving out of place.

"Run!" Daxter's voice caused Jak to jump into action, quickly running through the door and threw the gated halls. Shots fired from the tank behind them, nearly hitting several times. "Jak! We need to lose this thing!" Jak jumped behind a computer panel, hoping the tank would lose the target. His hopes were crushed as the panel exploded, pushing him and Daxter across the floor. Daxter scurried to the right while Jak leapt to the left, moving behind any kind of shelter they could find. Daxter jumped behind a pile of metal box's, attempting to press up against the wall….

And finding some kind of tunnel, just large enough for Jak to crawl through.

"Jak! Over here!" Jak looked across the hallway before returning his gaze to the tank. "Come on!" The gun pointed toward Jak's position, and Jak waited until the moment it shot before diving across the floor, rolling to land behind the boxes. "In here!" Daxter yelled, running through the tunnel. Jak followed him quickly, both freezing as the tank shot the wall. They both gave a sigh of relief as the tank moved on. "Whew! That was close! Let's not go _that _way."

"This could lead to the cells." Jak observed, moving forward.

"Right! The girl…" Daxter said slyly, walking in front of him. The crawl took five minutes, Jak grimacing at a pain beginning in his back. Finally they reached the end, Jak jumping out eagerly. He put his hands on his hips and pushed forward, stretching his back. "Hey, what's wrong, buddy? Wishing you were a bit more….ottsel-like?" Daxter said smugly. Jak raised an eyebrow before glaring.

"I'll pass." He finally took a look around, finding himself in a room filled with full shelves and metal boxes. There were three doors to choose from, all closed.

"So, uh….do you remember anything from the map?" Jak ignored Daxter, moving to the closest door on the right. He examined the panel finding three bottons and a screen revealing five slots.

"A…code." He narrowed his eyes, trying to think of anything that may have sounded like a code over his past two years in the cell. The buttons themselves simply had the numbers five, three and six. "Daxter."

"What?"

"Come try and crack this code while I check out the other doors."

"Yes, captain!" Daxter jumped up, pressing the buttons in random sequences. "Okay, five three six three five…no, five three six five five….nope! Five three five six three….Five three….uh, Jak? Did I do Five three five six five?" Jak rolled his eyes, already approaching the farthest door. As he approached, the door slid open easily to reveal the tank rolling by. He jumped behind the wall, eyes wide and holding his breath as the gun pointed toward the door. It froze for a few seconds before moving on. Jak slumped slightly and sighed out his relief.

"Hey Jak! I think I got it! Five, three, six, six, sev…wait." Jak shook his head, letting out a short chuckle.. Jak moved over to the next door, finding it to be manual. He slid the door open, looking inside to find large glass holders full of dark eco. Seven glass containers held the eco, and two or three tubes seemed to siphon the dark goo out of them at a slow and uneven rate. The sound of a door sliding open caught Jak's attention. "Hey! I got it! Three three three…three…..three." Daxter said, turning bitter toward the end. He jumped up on Jak's shoulder as they went through the door, looking around.

"This looks like our first stop." Jak looked around at several cells on the right wall and three tubes similar to those holding the eco on the left. One cell was open, and Jak jogged over to it and looked inside. "Why would this door be open?"

"Jak…"

"This is the place Torn showed me."

"Uhh….Jak?"

"Unless they moved her to the other cells…"

"Jak!" Daxter turned Jak's head to look in the doorway, where a woman stood. Her body was covered in a tight version of the prison clothes. She stood at five foot five inches, with moon-pale skin and wet, dark hair that clung to her face and made it difficult to see her eyes. Her nails were long and sharp, dripping blood. Her feet were bare and her legs scarred, toned arms revealing several barely closed cuts. She opened her mouth in a snarl, revealing two small fangs in front. She began walking forward quickly, raising a hand menacingly. "Jak….do something!"

"I think that's the girl!"

"Yeah? Well the girl is about to _tear us apart!_" Jak looked around as he backed away, trying to find anything to hold her back.

"She has eco in her, we just have to wait."

"Wait? Wait! What was her name? Kat? Katy? Cathy? Kit!" The girl hesitated, her lips pulling into a frustrated frown as she seemed to be fighting herself.

"Kit! Torn sent us!"

Torn…" The name was whispered, but she stopped entirely now, wavering a bit on the spot. Her claws retracted while she brought her hand up to her head. Her skin turned one shade darker and she fell back against the wall, leaning against it for support. "Where…?" Jak finally stepped forward.

"You're in the fortress. We're here to get you out." Halfway through his explanation, she slid to the floor, her head slumping over as she uttered a single "oh…" Jak kneeled next to her, looking passed her hair at her closed eyes.

"She's out. I'll have to carry her."

"Well pick her up and let's go! I want out of this place." Jak glared briefly at him before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. "Now, to the ammo!"

* * *

If you love me, and you mildly like this story/have suggestions to improve it, please review! Feedback is lovely! Even if you would like to tell me this story sucks, by all means, let me know how to improve! Kthx

SYANU ^.^


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, here we are! I hope this chapter is...smooth...enough. I was fairly happy with it towards the end, but I'm more interested in what you guys think...so...review!

I only own Avery and Kit.

* * *

"The demolition duo has returned!" Daxter bounded across the room and landed on the desk, throwing his arms out wide in triumph as Jak laid the girl on one of the bunks. Torn looked up and, for the first time in front of the boys, moved energetically around the table. "One barbecued ammo dump served up hot!" He came over to the bed, leaning over her and checking her vitals. "Oh, and the babe, too."

"We saw something odd while torching that ammo. The Baron's guards were giving barrels filled with eco to a group of metal heads!" Torn looked back at Jak in surprise for a moment before returning to his actions.

"Really! The shadow will be interested to hear that."

"You know…" Both Torn and Jak rolled their eyes as Daxter started. "So far your gigs have been easier than stealin' grass from a sleeping yakow!" finally, Torn stood straight, an amused smirk on his face as he turned to face the two.

"You want to start proving yourselves? One of our suppliers needs his payment delivered…a bag of eco ore. Take the zoomer parked out back and drive it to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in South Town. Ask for Krew, he'll be there…and _don't_ let the Baron's patrols stop you. When you get there, pump Krew for information. He's wired into the city and may know what the Baron is up to." Torn had walked back behind the table, messing with several items in a box as he spoke.

"You can count on us!" Daxter fake saluted before jumping onto Jak's shoulder.

"Are you still here?" Jak didn't wait another second before turning around. As they passed the bed, a soft, feminine groan reached his ears. He stopped, taking a second to glance at her as she squirmed slightly in discomfort, still half unconscious. Her hair fell out of her face and Jak frowned, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Jak, come on!" Daxter pulled him out of his thoughts, and the blond teen continued walking, waiting until the door slid shut behind them before saying anything.

"Dax, did you look at her?"

"Of course I looked at her! Did you see her _chest_?" Jak gave a frustrated sigh as he got on the zoomer, trying to decide whether it was worth explaining or not. "And those hips! Man, whether she's comin' or goin', there's always a happy ending!"

"Dax! Did you look at her face?"

"Oh, yeah. She's real pretty. But what about that as-"

"Nevermind." He started the zoomer, immediately feeling the weight of the eco ore on back affecting the vehicles' balance. He picked up speed immediately, staying in the lower hover zone and weaving around people.

"It's around the port in the red zone of the city." Daxter said, jumping down to hang onto the front bars of the vehicle. "Let's go!"

* * *

"That could have gone better." Jak said, parking the vehicle behind the saloon and joining Daxter by the back door.

"Getting chased by Krimzon Guards for fifteen minutes and dodging turrets….How could it get any better than that?" Daxter asked sarcastically. The two entered the saloon, immediately spotting a tall, dark skinned warrior dressed in silver armor and metal head trophies. "Let me handle this, Jak. Watch my finesse and style."

"Don't forget to ask about-"

"Everything's cool. Nobody panic!" Daxter announced, causing Jak to raise an eyebrow and shake his head. "Hey, big guy!" Daxter walked underneath the warrior, approaching a huge man floating in a chair. He was literally a blob of fat, floating in a chair that hooked him to life support devices. His tiny legs hung from the bottom, bare and damn close to deteriorating. He was wheezing with the horrible effort it took to breathe, and one eye was blind. His eyebrows were bushy and gray, and he had a huge mole on the right side of his face. He was, otherwise, bald, with tiny, drooping ears. Both boys sparred a moment to feel disgusted at his state. "You Krew? Well we shook the heat, and your shipment's in primo condition." The man opened his mouth and took an even louder breath, revealing several missing teeth.

"That's good, 'ey." His voice was weak, breathy, and cocky. "Because a cargo of rare eco ore is worth more than ten of your lives!" Krew zipped over to Jak, stopping a little too close for comfort. "Mmm and of course, I'd be forced to collect, ah…slowly." He erupted with several chuckles and pulled back from Jak, much to his relief. The man's breath was no better than his looks. "The underground will take anyone with a pulse these days." Daxter jumped up on Jak's shoulder, catching Krew's eye. "And what do we have here? The shadow's mascot of the month?" Daxter glared, opening his mouth to say something, any insult to anger this blob of human waste…

But he was cut off when Krew came over and stroked him roughly. "Oh, soft…Sig, this fur would go well with my silk suits, ey?" Daxter growled lowly before clearing his throat.

"Listen, ah…tons of fun. Anyone can see that you, uh, and I have the _real_ juice in this burg." Krew gave him a skeptical look. "We're both players, right? We're both looking for a piece of the action, right? I think we can do business, right?" Jak face-palmed as Daxter began to panic slightly, stumbling over his words.

"We did you a favor, now it's your turn." He cut in sharply. "Why is the Baron giving eco to the metal heads?" Krew was obviously upset by the demand for information as he violated Jak's personal space once more, causing the boy to lean back in surprise.

"Questions like that could get a person killed, ey!" he pulled back, speaking at a calmer level again. "Sig, pay 'el capitan' here and his friend a bonus." Jak stepped back as the large warrior stepped forward. He raised his fists, ready to defend himself despite the fact that his odds looked rather slim. With a look of amusement, Sig held out a weapon. Jak hesitated for a moment out of his shock, but picked up the weapon nonetheless, looking it over and nodding his approval as a small grin broke out. "If you want to see what that baby can do, try to gun course outside. Show me some skill with that hardware, and I'll hire you for a job or two, 'ey." Jak looked at Daxter, smirking.

"The gun course is just around the corner. Type in this code and pull the trigger." Sig explained, giving Jak a card. He looked it over, finding a four digit code. Nodding, he made his way towards the front door. "One more thing." Sig pulled out a holster of some type. "The guards won't like seeing that gun of yours." Jak caught the holster in his free hand, strapping it alongside his bag. He handed Daxter the gun, and the ottsel quickly clipped it into place. With a nod, Jak made his way out the door, jogging around the corner to the course. The door was large and made of metal, a computerized lock in the middle.

"Oh, oh! Do I get to crack this one too?" Jak rolled his eyes.

"We have the code for this door, Dax."

"So?" Jak punched in the code and the door slid open, revealing a relatively empty room. Shelves lined the walls, catching Jak's eye as he walked in. One shelf held a large stock of ammo for his mod, causing Jak to grin once more. He grabbed clips of extra ammo, clipping two to the straps running over his shoulder. He turned toward one of the metal doors, looking at another keypad. He pressed the right button, green, with the word Scattergun illuminated under it.

"Scattergun training course initiated. You have five minutes to complete the test." The computerized announcement was followed by the doors opening and Jak taking out his weapon. He stepped in as the first 'enemy' appeared, squeezing the trigger and nearly falling back. Daxter clung to his shoulder.

"Wow! That baby has some kick to it!" Jak smirked as he made his way through the course, obliterating enemies with the powerful shot and taking a few out with the occasional and convenient kick. He completed the course in three minutes, stashing the weapon as he exited the end door.

"Scattergun training complete. Score: 5684. Time: Three minutes, seven seconds."

* * *

"Excellent shooting, Jak! Ever thought about being a wastelander, mmm?" Jak took a step back from the large floating man, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Can't say that I have."

"Wastelanders find items outside the city walls, 'ey. Any artifact or weapon worth having comes through _my_ hands. Work for me and I'll throw you some of the sweeter items your way, hmmm." Jak thought about the offer, fairly pleased with the deal.

"Kill metal heads, get toys? Sounds good to me."

"Slow down, Jak and the fat man." Daxter jumped in, looking upset. "You two had better run that by me again, 'cause there's _no way_ I'm going outside the city to face more metal heads!"

"Sig will show you the ropes." Krew flew off to some other room while Sig approached them. Once again, Daxter growled.

"So, _you_ wanna be wastelanders, huh doughboys? Well we'll see what you're made of when we get out in the thick. Krew wants some new trophies to put butts in chairs at the Hip Hog, so I'm gonna bag him five nasty metal heads at the Pumping Station." Jak smiled, eager to test out his gun on some living enemies. Daxter gulped loudly out of fear, catching Sig's attention. "Don't wet your fur, chili pepper, cause we're rollin' with the Peace Maker!" Sig took out a rather large gun, impressive as it was. He looked at it proudly.

"Whoa! I need one of those! Where'd you get it?" Daxter was cut off by Krew, swooping in once more.

"Don't ask. Sig needs someone to watch his back while he tracks the metal heads, 'ey?"

"We'll meet at the Pumping Station. Listen cherries, don't you leave me dangling in the wind out there!" Jak gave him a confident and determined smirk.

"Let's do it." He turned to the front door, about to leave when a hand found his shoulder. He turned to see Sig.

"You're working for Torn at the underground, right?" Sig whispered, leading them out the door. Jak raised an eyebrow, looking back at Krew, who was currently floating around the bar, before leaving.

"Yeah, why?" Daxter was the first to ask as they watched Sig jump on his own zoomer.

"They find little Kit yet?"

"We rescued her earlier today." Jak said shortly, staring at Sig in confusion.

"Bring her along, if you can. I've got a few things to give her." He started up the zoomer, smirking. "And don't worry; you won't need to watch her back." He laughed, a deep, low rumble, before moving forward, leaving the boys to find a zoomer.

* * *

Jak and Daxter stopped off at the underground hide out, leaving their zoomer at the corner. The sky was beginning to darken as the sun began setting, casting a strong shadow over the alley. The lights were on in the hall leading down to the main room, making it easy for their eyes to transition upon entering.

Upon reaching the bottom, they found Torn standing in his usual spot, leaning over the map. However, this time, someone was next to him.

The boys recognized her as the girl they had saved. Each gave her a once-over, though for completely different reasons, Daxter grinning.

She wore black boots that ended halfway between her ankles and knees. Her legs were bare until about mid thigh, leading to perfectly fitting shorts that hugged her hips and allowed for comfortable, free movement. Her entire stomach was showing, revealing a tight, toned stomach and a fairly small waist. Her shirt was more like a bra, covering her chest and upper back entirely with a low neck, revealing a very small amount of cleavage. The shirt had thin straps as well, matching the shorts in being dark green in color. Her attire was clearly chosen for movement. Jak assumed she always dressed in such a manner, because the light tan of her skin was fairly even. Kit also had a brown belt that laid diagonally across her hips. The left side had three pouches and a holster holding a dagger with a twelve inch blade. The right side held clips for ammo, as well as a small pocket knife.

Jak and Daxter both observed her shape as well. Slim, long legs that led to wide hips. Relatively small waist leading to a fair chest. Her neck was slim and delicate, leading to a heart-shaped face with soft curves. Her nose was small, lips full, eyes round and big. Her ears were slightly smaller than normal, but fit her nicely, following her short height. Her hair fell just above her shoulders in waves, pushed back to stay out of her face. It started as a dark blue in the roots, bleeding into a deep auburn to the tips, which were a deep blood red. She didn't seem very much like a natural fighter. She lifted her head and looked at Jak, her emerald eyes, shimmering in the artificial light, locked onto his, making Jak freeze.

"Jak, good job. That was our last payment for Krew." Torn ripped the two teens out of their lock, Kit turning away to look back at the map.

"Wow, Baby, you clean up quick!" Daxter jumped up onto the table, getting into her face. She backed away slightly, looking uneasy. "What's the matter, honey? Come give Daxter a kiss!"

"Uhh…" Jak noted that with that one sound, her voice was soft with an undertone of confidence.

"Hey! Rat's off the table!" Torn knocked Daxter off the table, causing Jak to laugh. Kit looked back up at him, a hurt expression on her face. For some reason, Jak wanted to fix that. He walked forward, locking eyes with her again.

"Sorry about that. Daxter is….well, I'm Jak." He was confused at his own awkwardness in the situation, but shrugged it off as he held out his hand. Kit hesitated for a moment before taking it, giving him a firm hand shake.

"Kit. Torn told me that you two saved me." Her cheeks turned a bit pink at the idea of needing to be saved. "Thanks." She muttered, looking back down at the map.

"Speaking of which, what the hell happened?" She snapped her eyes over at Torn, glaring.

"I didn't come back and you didn't send in the cavalry." She said sarcastically, following it up with a smile as he scowled. "I went in too cocky. Their security tank drove me into too many guards. I don't remember much after that." She admitted, shrugging. Torn rolled his eyes.

"Figures. As usual, you're no help whatsoever."

"No help? I'm sorry, but what is it I'm referred to? The best shot in the underground? The only one capable enough to go out and kick the biggest ass in existence?"

"Not anymore, sweet cheeks! _I'm_ here!" Daxter said, jumping back on the table. She rolled her eyes and shook her head in an exasperated manner. "In fact, we're about to go meet Sig outside the city walls to destroy some metal heads!" She brightened up then, looking up at Jak.

"Sig?"

"Yeah. He asked for you to come, too." She looked over at Torn, grinning.

"Perfect! It'll get me back on my feet, and if Sig knows I'm coming, he's probably bringing me a weapon!" Torn looked at her skeptically.

"Three hours ago you were unconscious and bloody." She smirked.

"And in three hours, I'll probably look about the same." She walked around the table, approaching Jak. She seemed to look at him with some degree of familiarity and fondness, confusing Jak as she smiled brightly up at him. "So, who's driving, me or you?"

"Hey! What about me?" The two turned to Daxter, both looking at him skeptically.

"Fat chance." Kit mumbled, rolling her eyes. "We'll take separate zoomers. The ones that are parked are public property, so there are probably a couple sitting around somewhere." She began moving passed Jak.

"Kit!" She froze, turning with her head tilted to the side questioningly. Torn held up the rectangular, thin object and its holder. "You are _never_ leaving this behind again." He tossed her comm. unit to her, rolling his eyes at her sheepish smile.

"Yeah yeah, alright." She clipped the unit to her shoulder strap, jogging out the door. Daxter ran in front of Jak, calling after her.

"Hey! Wait for us!"

* * *

Jak was surprised to find that she drove a zoomer like a racer, speeding through the streets and weaving through obstacles, switching hover zones when needed. He almost had trouble keeping up with her and her sharp turns, his zoomer having trouble with such a feat. They reached the Pumping Station quickly with little incident. Jak parked his zoomer next to Kit's as the door unlocked and opened for them.

"Oh man, I'm gonna see Sig! I haven't seen him in months!" She whispered excitedly, barely containing her excitement. Jak and Daxter exchanged a glance with eyebrows raised before looking back at the second door opening. Kit ran forward, jumping over the slight step and running out to the tall figure creating a long shadow in the sunset. "Sig!" Her yell was followed by laughter as she ran and jumped into his ready arms. Hugging her, he stood up straight, lifting her far off the ground.

"Well look who it is! I heard you ran into some trouble at the fortress." He let her down, smirking at her as she waved him off.

"Hey, we all make mistakes."

"Your mistake could have cost you your life. Which is why I brought a new toy for ya." He reached behind him and pulled out a gun similar to Jak's, loaded with yellow eco. It was smaller than Jak's gun and had a red sight on it.

"Wow!" She picked up the gun, grinning.

"Test it out!" Sig demanded, gesturing toward the seven or so metal heads across the sand bank. Kit smirked, looking back at Jak and Daxter.

"You're about to see why _I'm _the best shot." She turned and brought the gun up, taking her time to line it up with her first target. Within a second she sent out five yellow bullets, taking out three metal heads. Both boys let their jaws drop slightly, watching as she turned and gave Sig another hug. "This is perfect Sig!"

"Ready to put that thing to good use?" She nodded, smirking.

"What's the job?"

"I'm baggin' a few new trophies for the Hip Hog and the cherries here are watchin' my back. Feel like watchin' theirs to get back in the game?" She scoffed.

"_Back_ in the game? Sig, I am the game." She said, giving him a cocky smile. Sig rolled his eyes before turning to Jak and Daxter.

"Follow me, stick close, and watch my six." He went to turn before stopping, looking back, and showing them an excited grin. "It's gonna be fun!" Sig walked forward, Kit close behind him. Jak stared intensely at her as they walked to the pumps, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"Hey, don't stare too hard. You might fall for that womanly charm crap." Daxter said quietly, nudging Jak with his elbow.

"I think I know her from somewhere, but…"

"Come on, cherries! Keep up!" Sig and Kit climbed on one pump while Jak and Daxter took the other, climbing up onto the top of the machinery. Sig stepped forward, bringing up his gun and pointing it at a tank of some sort blocking their path. "Stand behind me while I toast that tank!" Jak followed orders, standing a little to the right. Kit stood right behind him, her small frame easily protected by his large one. Sig charged up his Peace Maker, the blue ball of electric energy gaining in size as it charged. Soon, Sig let go of the trigger, the energy flying a little sporadically before hitting its target head on, causing the tank to explode. Sig simply put up a hand to cover the exposed section of his face while Jak and Daxter made to dodge a few pieces of shrapnel. "Boom, baby!"

"Let's move." Kit moved in front of the pack; jogging down the path with her gun held out, ready to shoot. Despite being slightly shocked at her bold approach, Jak followed right behind her, taking out his blaster. "Four Juice Goons ahead!"

"What?" Instead of responding, she ran ahead, shooting down metal heads carrying juice rods glowing red with waiting power. The metal heads themselves were colored blue with plates of armor in select places. Jak jumped in, having to shoot at a closer range. They both took two each, finishing them off quickly.

"Good job, you two. Kit, you need to lower that bridge while we watch your back." Kit looked behind her at the raised bridge, nodding. The moment she crossed the threshold to the next platform, lizards started leaping up. She ignored them, shoving the gun into the holster on her back. The bridge was two feet taller than she could reach, and she frowned as she thought of how to get up to the top. "Hurry up, sugar!"

Kit looked to her right at the railing on the platform which reached up to her hips. She swung herself up onto the railing, balancing on it as she put her hands on the bridge and swung herself up. She jumped up, nearly falling off when a waiting metal head swiped at her. She let out a yelp of surprise, nearly falling off of the bridge. She dodged a clawed paw attempting to shred her for the second time, reaching for her gun and taking several shots. The beast fell off the bridge from the force of the shots and Kit took a deep breath, calming her racing heart and clearing the surprise from her.

"Kit, you alright?" She recognized Jak's call over a couple gunshots from behind her as she ran to the opposite edge of the bridge. Jumping down, she found the control panel and looked at the plane covered with buttons.

"Oh, awesome." She muttered sarcastically, sighing. "Okay, blue button, you look quite well today." She said enthusiastically, pushing it. The bridge rose higher and she groaned. "Okay, not blue." She narrowed her eyes, holding her hand over the other buttons. "Uhm, green!" She pressed the button and jumped as some machinery above her began moving. "Oh, shit!" She growled. "Red than!" This time she slammed her fist into the button. To her relief, the bridge lowered. She watched as Jak and Sig shot the remaining creatures before crossing the bridge.

"Alright, our first target is up there." Sig said, pointing up to a ledge several feet away. The metal head was completely oblivious to their existence, stalking back and forth with no real purpose. It was larger than most of the metal heads commonly found around the station. "Watch my back while I charge this bad boy up!" He kneeled down to aim the gun, holding the trigger down. Kit took out her gun and stood to the right of Sig, Jak taking the left. More lizard-like creatures began jumping up, lashing out with their tongues. Kit remembered them as Znorkle Tooths, creatures that were various shades of orange in color. They had sharp, curved teeth and sharp claws on all four feet. Their tales were long for swimming purposes. Kit shot several of them herself before Sig stood. He released the trigger, and the blue ball of energy whizzed through the air in circular motions before it hit the metal head. With a cry, it fell to the ground, Sig motioning his fall in amusement.

"How many of these things do you need?" Kit asked with genuine curiosity, this time letting Jak lead.

"Four more. I'll be choosing the best three as Krew's new trophies." They ran down a ramp to a sand bank, leading to the next set of platforms. Four grunts were easily taken down by Jak and the four moved on, climbing up a pile of pipes leading to the platforms. Kit reached the top, panting and sweating. When she turned, she was met with the smirks of Jak and Sig. "What?" Her growl was less threatening than she wished, having no extra breath to back it up.

"A little out of shape, sug?" Sig teased, his gun resting over his shoulder. Kit glared sharply, putting her free hand on her hip and slinging her gun onto her shoulder.

"I was in a cell for what? Three months? Give me a break!" The two chuckled, turning away and making their way to the next raised bridge. Kit huffed, pouting as she followed after them. The three of them shot down metal heads as they went, Sig eventually taking out three more metal heads. Kit collected most of the skull gems that were knocked loose from the shots, not wasting time with cutting out the rest. Finally they reached the last target, stopping on a strip of sand.

"Last one cherries. Than we can head home." Sig was the first to step forward, setting his gun to the Peace Maker. That was when the near-constant wave of Znorkal Tooths began jumping out of the water. Once again, Jak and Kit took opposite sides of Sig as he charged his shot. The two teens shot frantically as a large group of them appeared, soon causing Kit to run out of ammo.

"Oh, _fuck_!" She flipped her gun so the barrel was in her hands, raising it high over her shoulder and bringing it down hard on one Znorgal Tooth and hitting another on the side, knocking it into two others. "Sig!"

"Ready!" He stood up, aiming and releasing the trigger. Stray energy from the shot pushed back the remaining creatures approaching before the main shot hit the metal head, knocking him clean off the ledge. Kit knocked back one last creature before she relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief as she put away the gun.

"Okay, note; I need a new juice rod." A low chuckle came from behind her, and she turned to see Sig's amused grin.

"I'll see if I can't find you a sweet new weapon. That was the last one." He turned to the boys. "Tell Krew we got 'em all cooked and caned. I'm gonna clean Peace Maker and pick up the trophies. Ya did good, rookie." He looked back at Kit, who raised an eyebrow. "Take sugar here with ya. Make sure she gets back alright."

"Hey! I can take care of myself." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Awh, come on toots! We're not that bad!" Daxter said, giving her a cheesy smile. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head at his antics.

"You two worked well together today. You should ask Torn about becoming partners." Sig said, already beginning the process of cleaning his gun. Jak looked over at him with a skeptical look.

"I'm not looking for a partner." He said calmly, looking over at Kit.

He didn't miss the quick look of hurt that passed over her expression.

"You do what you can to win wars. Remember that." Sig said, turning away and leaving the three of them to find their way back. Jak was busy staring at Kit, who was staring at the ground. Daxter looked between the two, raising his eyebrows in confusion. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kit cut him off.

"Uhm, we can get back through here."She said softly, turning around and gesturing to the weeds. She began walking, knocking Jak out of his thoughts. He followed her without question, handing his gun to Daxter who then put it away. She led them through the weeds, jumping over a small line of water running between the two banks of sand. The path led them right back to the main pumps and door to the city, and the two teens entered together, waiting patiently and quietly for the door to close and lock before the other did the opposite.

"Hey, big guy, the lady looks uncomfortable." Daxter whispered, elbowing Jak. "Normally I'd take the task to cheer her up but _I'm_ not the one who said they didn't want a partner." Jak glared at Daxter for a moment before looking over at Kit. She was fidgeting slightly, still looking down to the floor awkwardly. It was obvious she was upset, and Jak could guess why…if he wasn't already told by his short orange friend.

A familiar feeling washed over Jak, one he would feel whenever he hurt one of his friends in Sandover. He wanted to try to fix the problem he created before it got any worse, realizing that allies were important, especially if he had to stay in the city for a while. He stepped forward to stand beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder as he began speaking, looking over her slumped form.

"Hey…about being partners.." She turned slightly to face him, lifting her head a little. That's when he saw it.

The rope around her neck was simply pieces of thin material braided together, creating a smooth and strong rope that adjusted by a slipknot. It was a simple pale yellow in color, though obviously worn from years of wear. It held a simple pendant that was almost round, disfigured slightly from the primitive method used in making it. It was made of stone, thick for the most part. Around the stone, separating it into four equal parts, were four precursor symbols.

The first, in the upper left hand corner, was the precursor letter standing for 'J'. Beside it on the upper right hand corner stood the symbol that represented 'D'. Below it was the symbol for 'K', and to the left, in the final corner, was the symbol for 'A'.

Jak's eyes widened as he recognized the necklace from several years ago. Keira and Avery would work together on such projects when they were still close, and the two had made necklaces for all of them, identical in basic concept. Each person had a different shape to represent their personalities and attitudes. Keira had a rhombus with K and J on the top corners and D and A on the bottom. Daxter had a triangle with J at the top, K and A at the bottom, and D taking up the entire back. Jak had a square with J and D on top and K and A on bottom. Jak remembered Keira putting hers in a box when she and Avery had had their first disagreement. Daxter had lost his nearly immediately, dropping it off of the deck around Samos's hut. Jak had kept his for several years until their trip to Misty Island. He hadn't noticed it was missing until he had returned, no longer feeling its familiar weight around his neck. As far as he knew, Avery had kept hers until the day he last saw her.

For a moment he could only think the woman before him had stolen the necklace from Avery. He felt anger coursing through him at the possibility that she could be stuck in the same situation that he was, or worse, if such a situation did exist. Then he felt fear. Perhaps it wasn't stolen….perhaps it was found. He wondered if she had been killed in their trip through the rift, and he felt his heart pound faster as he pushed away these thoughts. It had to be stolen. It was the only way.

Then she looked up with him, locking eyes. He stared into the pure emerald as the outer door opened, the computerized voice announcing their return to the city. He took note of her size… shorter than he was. Her frame and facial features were delicate, though her body was obviously mature…but what got him was the expression.

Curiosity and a little sadness. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't muster up the courage, as if it pained her to keep it inside. Her silver flecked eyes held a depth of emotion that was difficult to understand fully. Those eyes were unique and could never be replicated. They were a mixture of her mother's emerald eyes and her father's gray.

She looked up at him now with concern, opening her mouth to say something, but closing it again immediately and reaching up to rest her hand on his arm. He looked down at her scarred flesh, wincing as he wondered what could have given her so many.

"Jak?" Looking back up, their eyes locked again, and Jak found his voice, soft as it was.

"Avery?"

* * *

So, I totally forgot to mention that necklacei n ch 1...I had the idea, just forgot...I do that, unfortunately.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this update and I would appreciate it so much if you reviewed with comments on why you did or did not like the chapter, what you think I could do to improve, or even just how certain parts made you feel! Let me know that it isn't crap! :D

SYANU :3


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so this was going to be a reaaaaalllllllyyyyy loooooooong chapter, but I decided to split it in two. So here is part 1 of the update! Please let me know what you think! Getting to know a little more about Avery and Torn.

If you haven't picked up on it, I'm still keeping toward Avery and her emotions more than I am Jak, but of course, she is the center of our attention! I hope you all like her.

Anyway, I wanted to say thanks to my already loyal reader and reviewer **Spirit01**. You are a lovely person, and I appreciate your opinions! Thank you!

Also, I am sorry if it took a little bit longer to get this out. It's been a rough week. My grandmother died, which I have accepted, but it came with a whole mountain of family drama...and I've been dealing with that. Anyway, here you go!

* * *

"Avery?"

"Avery?" Her eyes widened in surprise as both boys observed her. Jak looked shocked, his eyes wide and confused. Daxter was looking her up and down, trying to comprehend her changes. She quickly recovered from her own shock, narrowing her eyes and putting her hand quickly over his mouth, backing him against the wall and glaring.

"Don't call me that!" She hissed, looking over her shoulder at the open door. "It's Kit now."

"What are you talkin' about? Why didn't you tell us it was you?" Daxter didn't get the point, yelling at the top of his lungs in his excitement. Avery pulled back, glaring at him.

"Daxter! I'm not that person anymore. Now shut up!" She moved away from them, jogging out of the door. Jak shook himself out of his stunned state before following her, catching up to her easily as the door shut behind them. It was completely dark outside now, very few working lights in the slums. The lights over the doors to the station provided them with just enough light to see each other as Jak put a hand on her shoulder, turning her toward him.

"Wait, he's right. Why didn't you tell us?" He stared right into her eyes, and Avery had to look away from his, trying her best to keep her hard look.

"We need to get back."

"Avery!" She turned and glared heatedly at him, once again shocking him. He let his hand drop off her shoulder, stepping back from her. She turned, reaching into the larger pouch off of her belt and pulling out a rectangular object. In a second it transformed into a board of some type and she jumped onto it, speeding off away from the boys. Jak watched her go, feeling upset and confused.

"Wow…what happened to _her_?"

"I don't know….but we're going to find out." Jak said, determination in his voice. "Come on, we need to report to Krew."

* * *

Avery jumped off her hover board, putting it back in the pouch. She reached behind her to check for her gun, nodding as she felt it resting firmly in the holster. The door to the underground slid open for her, welcoming her back home. Torn looked up as she walked in, raising and eyebrow at her.

"Where are the others?"

"Went to report to Krew." She said blankly, falling onto her bunk, farthest from the door on the right. "Where's Tess?"

"Undercover work. She's working for Krew at the saloon." She sat up, taking off her effects until she was stripped to just her shirt and pants. She slipped off her boots, feeling the cool air reaching her skin and sighing. She laid back, folding her arms under her head. "I offered them to stay here." He said, trying to strike up conversation as he sat down on some crates in the corner. She only hummed in response, staring up at the wooden frame holding the bunk above her. A few minutes of silence passed between them before Torn leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs as he looked up at her. "What really happened there?" She raised an eyebrow, rolling her head lazily over to look at him. She shrugged, averting her eyes.

"They caught me when I had reached the ammo. Tried to shoot at me, and I had run out of shots. They just kept coming. Errol showed up eventually and I was too exhausted to fight him back. They took me to a cell and threw me in. Next I knew, I was waking up in some kind of…tube." She raised her right arm over her, turning it in the light and observing the scars. Some were old, only slightly darker or lighter than her natural skin tone, depending on the severity and origin. Only a few of them were wide enough to create a slightly bumpy surface. She knew her legs looked the same.

Her new scars stood out angrily. They were either bright or dark red, mostly around her wrists, elbows, ankles and the back of her knees. These locations also held her barely-healed cuts, decorated with blotches of black, blue, and greenish yellow. These were the areas where they would stick tubes into her veins haphazardly. "They were pumping something into me…dark eco." She muttered softly, letting her arm fall and closing her eyes. "I woke up in that tank and started thrashing and giving them hell, it became routine to stun me or knock me out. I didn't hear anything or see anything. I guess I'm lucky that I didn't feel anything, either." She turned on her side, her back facing Torn. He was silent, staring at her, deep in thought.

"I'm sorry." The muttered apology was almost too quiet to hear. "I would have gone in after you if-"

"It's fine. You needed to be here. The shadow needed you." She said quickly, wanting to dismiss his guilt. He sighed, standing up and moving back over to the table. He stood with his back now facing her, his eyes trained on the poster of Errol. He clenched his hands into fists, scowling at the poster.

"We'll get them." He muttered, his voice nothing but a growl. Avery smiled to herself, keeping in an amused giggle. Her voice revealed her amusement.

"You treat me like a little sister sometimes." He frowned, calmly turning her way.

"I need to look out for our best, Kit." He said coldly, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. Avery sighed, her smile falling. Her encounter with Jak had left her tired, unsure of whether or not she wanted to continue a false identity or if it was even wise to stop.

"Why didn't you tell Jak to take an alias?" The question threw Torn off guard, and he let his blank stare fall for a moment.

"He didn't seem all that interested in hiding his identity from the Baron or Errol." Another shared silence.

"Sig said we worked well together, Jak and I." She turned onto her back once again, feeling herself beginning to relax. In the past two years, she had learned how to will her body to shut down, helping her when her mind would not stop racing. Torn didn't respond, hearing the slight slur of her words. It didn't take her long to fall asleep, blissful darkness pulling into sleep.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn't dreamless.

* * *

"Yuck! Let's never go down there again! Actually, let's never see fatso again." Daxter added as an afterthought, climbing from one shoulder to the other as Jak approached the underground. It was now early in the morning, both boys exhausted from the day. The sun was just about to rise, the sky brightening and giving enough light for the automatic city lights to dim. Jak's eyes burned with his exhaustion, feeling as if he barely had enough energy to continue walking. The door slid open and they moved down the steps slowly, Jak's mind feeling hazy with exhaustion. The first thing he noticed when he entered was the lack of Torn's presence, which was odd in itself. The lights were dimmed, leaving the outlines of items in the room barely visible. Jak narrowed his eyes, scanning the bunk next to him as movement caused the sound of shuffling to echo through the room. It was soon followed by a light whimper.

* * *

Avery looked around her, narrowing her eyes in the darkness. Her boots made loud banging sounds against some sort of hollow metal, echoing throughout the room. She raised her hand, staring in wonder at how she could see herself perfectly, as if she were lit. Once again she turned and looked around, debating whether or not she should walk forward.

The area around her had a strange sensation, the air tingling against her skin. It felt like tiny sparks dancing across her skin painlessly, like there was a dense electrical charge filling the air. There was a strong imbalance within her, one she felt growing the longer she remained in this area.

She felt helpless, unaware of how to leave this damned room. She sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on them. She felt vulnerable, afraid, and anxious. She had never felt more like her old self.

Avery was always the vulnerable, logical one at Sandover. She was usually too afraid to go on any adventures that seemed too dangerous, though Daxter became good at talking her into it until she forgot her fears entirely. She had nearly remained in Sandover Village when Jak pursued Gal and Maia. She proved to be an asset to the group throughout the trip, and had rekindled the friendship that had started to die between her and the boys.

When she arrived at Haven City, she was taught that there was no other way but to learn self defense. She had to forget her old ways, her fears and her logical thought process in the field. She had to use the grace she had learned as a dancer and amateur fighter, and put it to use in ways she never imagined. Her balance proved incredibly useful during missions where she had to cut corners and her ability to think out possible scenarios quickly made it easier for her to pick her battles and her approach. She became deadly, ruthless, and lively as opposed to her usual calm attitude. She spoke her thoughts when she wanted and felt no need for a filter in this world. No, this was the complete opposite of Avery. This was Kit. A part of her that had to be tapped for survival, fueled by adrenaline made from fear, letting primal instinct take over and sometimes anger. Kit became an alter ego turned dominant, and Avery remained a small voice in the back of her head, reminding her that she had not died.

Avery had felt the presence of Kit, the influence of violence, growing as she remained in the Barons prison. One day she had completely lost touch with her physical being, Kit and Avery separating. She was vaguely aware of each side, confusion tearing her away from thought and action until she was simply hanging aimlessly in the middle. She hadn't recognized the voice that pulled her out of it, but she _had_ recognized the name it had mentioned.

Torn, her protector, her only friend she could trust. She thought that he was there to help her, but was mildly disappointed to find someone he sent to find her, though she couldn't find the will to be surprised. No, she had expected that if anything were to happen, this would be the case. Despite how much he tried to protect her, he still gave her dangerous missions and still pushed her to protect herself. She loved him like the brother she always wanted, someone to give her practical and over-protective advice.

Over the years in Haven City, she had lost hope in ever finding her friends. She had been all over the city and outside the walls on missions for Torn and working with Sig for Krew. She never saw a trace of orange fur, green skin or blond hair. She had allowed herself to become immersed in her future and her family, the underground. Tess took care of her when she first arrived in a way Torn couldn't, quickly becoming a best friend. The woman was strange, but dangerous.

When she first heard that some boy named Jak and his ottsel Daxter had saved her, she had thought herself to be insane. Torn knew nothing about her friends, and so she knew he could not be lying…not that he would. She asked him to describe them, and had received a strange look in response before he explained the basics. Fairly long blond hair that started green at the roots, blue eyes, blue tunic and tan pants. Typical Jak attire.

Despite preparing herself with the inevitable meeting with her friends, she was still shocked upon seeing them….and hearing Jak talk. He had changed dramatically. His hair was longer, his body more muscular. He was geared up for combat and his eyes held a certain fire she had never seen before.

Though, she had nearly laughed at his dark green goatee.

She hadn't expected to feel so strange, seeing him. She felt relief and a twinge of hope, but awkwardness and fear also worked its way in. So, when they both introduced themselves, Avery decided to remain a stranger. They didn't recognize her, and her old persona made it easy to give in to fear of rejection. She thought she was safe after the first mission, but Jak had found her out. Kit surfaced immediately, replacing her shock and fear with anger and defense.

Avery sighed, becoming aware of her deep thought process. She was not able to think very often, usually finding refuge in the forest when it was safe to find peace. She hadn't done that in a while.

She felt as if she had been in this dark room forever as she stood, feeling stiff. She wondered how long she had been there, stuck deep in thought. Through such times, she was able to analyze her reactions and keep herself in check. She often worried that she would lose herself entirely.

Then again, she had no clue who she truly was.

With a quick decision, Avery moved forward, looking around for anything in the darkness. She started to wonder if she was dreaming, something she hadn't done since she arrived in Haven. Though, she was confused as to why she would dream of darkness.

It seemed like an eternity before she reached what looked like a glowing blue wall. She kneeled in front of it, brows furrowed as she reached forward. She touched the surface, finding it solid, like a mirror, though it rippled like water. Looking up at her reflected face, she gasped.

She looked the same as always, but her hair was a bit lighter and she was covered in a soft white aura. The tips were not a vivid red, and her skin was darker, as it was in Sandover. She lacked the many scars she had acquired over the years, except for one.

The scar on her collarbone was from a burn Jak had accidently given her upon his first experience with yellow eco. The scar was faint, hard to see against her tan skin. Her time in Haven City had made her pale, allowing the scar to stand out. Her features, overall, looked soft and young, though her body was mature. She figured that she was imagining what she would look like if she never came through the rift. She reached up to touch her face, finding the skin smooth and warm. She smiled at her reflection, enjoying the image. Unfortunately, the joy was short lived.

Another reflection seemed to appear, faint at first, but growing stronger by the second, as if someone was walking out of the darkness behind her. What surprised her was that the person looked almost exactly like her.

This girl was surrounded in a dark bluish-purple aura. Her skin was horribly pale, standing out against black eyes and black hair. Two short fangs showed from her menacing grin. Her nails were slightly long and black, pointed at the ends sharply. Avery looked behind her, seeing no one. She looked back, nearly jumping as she now saw the person…or _creature_…directly in front of her. She could now see the scars that she had acquired in Haven. Her face was a bit more angled, eyes shaped a bit sharper. The two stared at one another, observing each other. The creature seemed curious and angered, raising a clawed hand and resting it against the glass. Avery realized the wall separated them, and she put her hand against the glass as well. She felt electricity shoot through her arm, pulling back at the same time as the creature. With a snarl, the creature brought back her fist and punched at the wall. Avery jumped back, but not in fear. She felt the pain in her hand, as if she herself had punched the wall.

The creature looked up in rage, opening her clawed hand and slashing at the wall. Avery whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut as pain ripped through her fists.

"Stop!" She yelled, glaring at the creature. Her voice was soft and lacked intimidation, and she didn't expect the creature to follow the order.

To her surprise, it did.

It looked at her, changing from rage to curiosity, and then immediately to dark amusement. Avery moved forward cautiously, reaching the wall and holding her hard stare.

"Who are you?" She asked, unable to imagine how this creature would look so much like her. Perhaps she had finally gone insane, or was ill. Maybe she had repressed rage that manifested itself in her dream, waiting to be resolved.

The creature laughed, though it sounded much too primitive for her tastes, as if it were a mix between a screech and a roar. It looked at her as if she were a piece of meat, grinning manically.

**_'You will find out soon, little one.'_** Avery jumped and fell back at the sharp voice, scrambling away from the wall as the creature laughed some more. The voice had sounded as if it came from everywhere, while the creature had not even moved its lips to speak the words!

Avery suddenly felt claustrophobic, the darkness getting deeper. The wall began to fade, along with the creature, and she felt alone as the space drew in on her, crushing her and making it hard to breathe. She felt all her muscles tense as she looked around, watching for any sign of the dark creature. She heard laughter around her and brought her hands up to her head in an attempt to calm the pounding headache that had appeared.

"Stop it!" The yell was desperate, but as she squeezed her eyes shut, she felt the pressure leave. Instead, cool air surrounded her, biting into her skin and making her shiver. She was being shaken, quite violently, and her hearing slowly revealed that someone was calling to her.

Avery opened her eyes wide, fear and panic in them. Jak stared down at her with concern, observing her tear-stained face and red, fearful eyes. He loosened his grip on her arms, backing away and giving her space to sit up. Avery took the opening, pushing herself up. She found herself covered in a cold sweat, scowling at her state. She reached up, combing her fingers through her tousled hair. Taking several deep breaths, she waited until her heart was beating at a normal pace before looking up at Jak.

He leaned against the table only a few feet away from her, arms crossed and eyes trained on her. He looked as if he wanted to ask something, probably about her nightmare, but wasn't sure of himself. Avery didn't see fit to comfort him. Instead, she reached under her bed and pulled out her boots, slipping them on. As she began strapping on her effects, Jak spoke.

"Where are you going?" She turned around as she examined her gun, glancing up at him.

"Out." He raised an eyebrow at her short answer. Her voice was blank, entirely uninterested in him, as if she didn't just wake up from a horrible dream.

"Mind explaining what you were dreaming of?" He stood at full height now, arms still crossed.

"Nothing big." She said, shrugging. She loaded her gun with a fresh attachment of yellow eco from storage, strapping it onto her back and turning to leave. "Night-"

"Avery!" She sighed, looking back. Jak took several steps toward her, standing directly in front of her. She looked up into his eyes, her heart dropping.

She hadn't realized how much she missed that color.

"We need to talk…" He trailed off, once again unsure of himself. He looked down, shaking his head. "About everything." He said this firmly, voice low, and Avery sighed.

"Not tonight, Jak." She said softly, turning around and leaving him to stare at the ground. The door slid closed and she breathed in deep, smiling at the early morning air.

Jak sighed, sitting on the bunk next to hers. Daxter looked over the side of the top bunk, eyebrow raised.

"Sheesh, what got inta her?" Jak ignored him, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes.

He wouldn't sleep well.

* * *

So there it is!

I realize some readers may not like the 'softer' persona I have Torn taking on with Avery, but I found it's not too far off of how he was several times in the game. Don't forget that he has known Avery for nearly two years!

...and other reasons, which you shall eventually find out!

Anyway, review as always, tell me how you felt or how I can improve, and I will see you all next update (In about five minutes!)


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, part two of the update. This one is a little long, but hey, who doesn't like long chapters? Because I got out two updates, I'm going to sit back for a while and work on a couple other stories (Hopefully) so it may be a couple weeks for me to get a new chapter out. Keep checking though! I'm having fun with this story!

Review!

* * *

It was almost noon when Avery returned. Torn seemed to be waiting for her, leaning against the back wall with a glare set at the door as she walked in. She examined his foul look for a moment before shrugging it off and walking over to her bunk, ignoring Jak standing near her, leaning against the wall like Torn. She found that Daxter was lounging on the top bunk of the set near hers. After a few seconds of fiddling with her jet board, throwing it on the bed, and stretching, she turned around to face Torn, an amused smirk on her lips.

"Sorry, can I help you?" He stood fully, reaching onto the table and picking up a device. He threw it at her and she caught it with calm precision.

"Didn't I say to never forget that thing?" Avery shrugged, clipping it to her belt.

"My bad." She said, laughing. Torn growled, rolling his eyes as she turned her back, taking out her gun and about to start cleaning it.

"I've got a new mission for you two." Torn said, resting his hands on the table and looking away from her. Jak looked up at him, a curious expression on his face. Avery turned, glaring.

"Us two? As in, together? Why?" Torn simply smirked.

"I think you two will work well together." He said, slight sarcasm in his voice. Avery crossed her arms across her chest, glaring.

"Oh? You know…If you keep leaning over tables like that, your back will settle that way. You'll be one of those annoying old men with a cane who can't stand up straight." Torn glared back as she smirked. "I mean, we already know you'll be delirious when you're old. Sorry, you're 26, aren't you? Better be careful." He stood fully, turning his attention to Jak. Avery sat down on her bunk with a cocky smile, until she looked up at Jak.

He seemed to be in a mood, looking tired and overall uninterested in whatever Torn had to say. Despite this, Torn showed no care for anybody's mood, starting the briefing immediately as Avery began a quick cleaning of her gun, the polishing rag having been on her person, hanging off her belt.

"One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by the metal heads." Jak's eyes widened in surprise at the emotion of the Baron, though it quickly turned to frustration. Avery watched him carefully, surprised to see such powerful negative emotion coming from him.

"That's not _our _problem." The attitude in his voice made Avery freeze for a moment, though she quickly recovered.

Torn stepped forward, a finger out, ready to poke Jak in the chest and a snide remark probably just on the tip of his tongue. Avery felt now would be a good time to jump in.

"It _is_ our problem." All three boys looked at her, Jak turning his glare to her. She felt a little upset that he would look at her as if she were betraying him, but quickly brushed it off as overreacting. "The foreman is one of the Underground's best informants." She explained, seeking to calm him.

"His name is Vin, and he's just valuable enough to save." Her efforts worked, though with the wrong guy. Torn stepped back, crossing his arms as he so liked to do. Jak didn't seem as pleased. "Find the warp gate at the Power Station and use it to travel to the Strip Mine so you can rescue Vin's pathetic hide. Kit will show you the way." Avery gave a 'thumb's-up' in confirmation. Of course, Daxter _had_ to put in his two-cents, glaring at Torn as he jumped on the table.

"Hey, tattooed wonder!" Avery slapped a hand over her mouth to hide the grin, clearing her throat to rid herself of her laughter. "How come _we_ get all the crappy missions?" Torn glared, leaning in close to the ottsel, who was immediately intimidated.

"Because" He leaned closer and Daxter leaned back. "I. Don't. Like. You." He poked a finger to Daxter's tiny chest and the ottsel fell off the table, looking up sheepishly.

"Fair enough…" He muttered, giving a fake smile and nod paired with thumbs up. Avery rolled her eyes as Jak looked down; momentarily making sure his friend was alright.

"Whatever deal the Baron made with the metal heads, the city's eco is almost gone, and his time is running out. If we don't get the kid back on the throne soon, there may not be a city left to defend." Avery looked up, seeing Torn staring directly at her.

For two years they had fought for this city against the Baron, and to think that it could be so quickly taken away was frightening.

Jak huffed impatiently, grabbing Avery by the arm and pulling her up. "Let's go." He said gruffly, placing Daxter on his shoulder. Avery was barely able to catch Torn's glare as she was pulled out of the hideout. She allowed him to pull her for a few more seconds before annoyance ran through her blood and she viciously ripped her arm out of his grip.

"I can walk myself." She snapped, glaring at his startled look. He matched her glare momentarily before it faded, leaving him looking tired. Daxter watched silently, unwilling to get in-between his two angry friends. Avery found a zoomer first, waiting for Jak to find his own. The two set off in silence, Avery pulling in front of Jak as she led him through the industrial section of the city to the Power Station. They parked their zoomers, entering the station in silence.

"So, uh," Daxter timidly tried to break the uncomfortable silence between them. "How many metal heads do you think are out there?" He said, staring at the warp gate. Avery stopped, turning to them with a thoughtful expression. Almost automatically, she reached to her belt and ran her hand over the clips of ammo she had on, counting. Twenty clips of ammo with 20 magazines each. Her hands ran over her belt as she stared forward, checking for her dagger and knife. Once she was satisfied, she looked at the boys.

"Vin isn't the bravest guy, but he'll make a run for it if he thinks it's possible. The fact that he isn't here means two things: There are enough metal heads to cause a problem and he isn't close to the warp gate." The boys exchanged a glance. "Our best chance is to go in and try to get past any enemies in our way to get to Vin as soon as possible. It'll save ammo."

"We'll have to face them on our way back." Avery stopped mid-turn and gave him a look.

"You do it your way. I'll do it mine." Daxter sighed as Jak glared and Avery turned again.

Avery was the first through the warp gate, gun loaded and in her hands. As Jak came through, they both noticed that it was completely silent. Jak took the first step forward, which triggered the action.

Stingers came out from the ground, small metal heads with four spider-like legs on each side and a large scorpion-like tail. Jak began firing while Avery ran, jumping over attacks and kicking the small creatures out of the way.

"She's going to get herself killed!" Jak's frustrated statement made Daxter look up at Avery, who was now several feet away. Grunts were lining the raised platforms and sand dunes, running down the side.

"Av! Look out!" Avery didn't even spare a glance, turning the corner quickly.

"Damnit!" Jak took off, following her example by kicking metal heads out of his way. He still stopped to shoot the grunts which had made it to ground level, but he could see Avery again, despite how far away she was. She brought up her gun for the first time since their arrival, shooting down several Metal Jacket's, wasp-like creatures with large wings that screeched horribly as they fell. She jumped onto a strip of belt moving quickly away, and Jak struggled to join her. "What the hell are you doing?" She shot an approaching Grunt as he neared her, knocking him back several feet.

"They didn't appear until we arrived. You run fast enough, you stay ahead of the group!" She called back, jumping off the end and pausing for several seconds to shoot more enemies. In those seconds, Jak used the momentum of the belt and his own speed to catch up with her, only several feet behind her as she started moving again.

"Hey! Wait!" Jak pushed himself forward, ignoring the metal heads approaching from the sides. She looked back for a moment, hesitating in movement to make sure he was alright.

Then she felt herself being tackled by a large creature. Looking up, the Grunt roared in her face, ready to kill. A shot rang out and it flew off of her, Jak's face coming into her line of vision.

"Avery! Are you alright?" He pulled her up and she picked up her gun, shooting metal heads that were approaching from behind him. It seemed like an endless sea of metal was coming toward them made up mostly of Stingers and Grunts. More Stingers were appearing from the ground every second, and she backed away slightly. She felt her back press against something and looked back for a moment to see Jak standing behind her. He was facing the opposite way, shooting metal heads as well.

"Shit!" She hissed as her arms burned, having been attacked by a Metal Jacket while she wasn't looking. The Metal Jacket's were known for their long distance attack of liquid dark eco.

"Oh, great! Now we're going to die by metal heads!" Daxter complained, sounding more annoyed than frightened. Avery grimaced, looking around them. They were surrounded by sand dunes and platforms, most out of reach to jump up to and the rest too far away to run to.

"Jak, do you see anything on your side worth trying?" Jak didn't waste any time in answering, showing that he had been looking as well.

"There's some kind of assembly of large metal boxes over the cliff edge. If we time it right, we should be able to jump to them." He yelled back, not once faltering in his shooting. Avery slammed a new clip into her gun, shooting sporadically to push back the metal heads.

"Three!" She called, seeing the metal heads backing off slightly. She was wasting ammo, but Jak was far lower than her.

"Two!" He called back, stepping away from her.

"One!" Daxter yelled, gripping Jak's collar. Avery turned and ran beside Jak, who used the scattergun to keep the monsters far enough away. They reached the cliff edge and took a blind leap at the same time.

The two seconds they were in the air caused Avery's heart to flutter in fear. Below her was a lake of dark eco, behind her a sea of metal heads. She shut her eyes tight, ready to scream out in fear when she finally felt herself land hard against something metal that swung in protest to the sudden weight. She felt herself rolling off the side and opened her eyes to see red metal disappearing and turning into dark purple as the box tipped. She heard the scream before she realized it was her own, the surface beneath her disappearing completely and air rushing past her in ascending motion.

Her fall was cut abruptly as she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, her body connecting with the metal box with force, causing a sharp pain to run through her body. She put her other hand up to the edge, helping Jak to pull her up. She saw that his other hand was gripping the hook holding the box onto the rope as they moved. He pulled her up, falling back in the process. Without a word, Avery pushed herself up and picked up the gun Daxter was holding. Just as she thought, Metal Jacket's were making their way over. With careful aim, Avery used the red sight to pick them off before they could get close. As the box moved, she recognized their surroundings, grinning in relief to herself. Jack had stood long ago, but deemed himself worthless with long range shots. Instead, he watched her back, waiting for any indication of danger from where they had come from.

"Jak, we only need to ride this. I'll bet you anything that Vin is in the main control room." She said excitedly, the box making a round turn around a metal structure. "Get ready!" the two holstered their guns, and Daxter jumped up on Jak's shoulder. Avery pointed out the ledge they needed to make and they waited, tense.

"Okay, on three!" Daxter said, grabbing onto Jak's hair, much to his annoyance.

"Screw counting." Avery muttered, taking a running leap. Jak followed quickly behind her as they both slammed against the ground. Daxter flew off of Jak's shoulder, bouncing and rolling a couple more feet before he stopped. Avery pushed herself up, smiling at the sight of the control room, door closed. She stood and ran over, stumbling a bit.

"Avery?"

"Over here!" She hissed, stopping outside the door. Jak was behind her in seconds, gun out and ready. She pressed the red button next to the door, nearly getting shot in the face. Jak dived to the left, Daxter at his feet. Avery moved to the right, both pressing their backs against the wall as Vin yelled in terror and shot randomly.

"Do something Jak!" Daxter's yell was barely audible over Vin. Jak moved his head around the corner, jumping back as a shot almost hit him.

"Hey! Are you Vin? We're here to help! Torn sent us!"

"Vin! It's me! Kit!" The shots stopped.

"Friendlies?" Vin muttered incoherently for a few moments out of relief as Avery and Jak moved from behind the wall. He finally collapsed on the box's he had stacked in front of the door. "Oh thank goodness! So…uhh…where….where's the army?" Daxter raised an eyebrow and Avery put her hands on her hips.

"We're it." She said, smirking slightly at him. Vin stood with a shocked expression, looking between her and Jak.

Vin was a strange looking guy. His face was very square and angled and his ears drooped. His white hair was in a permanent swept-back position. He always wore goggles, and Avery could honestly say that she had never seen his eyes. His face showed worry lines and wrinkles, though he wasn't as old as most would think. His clothes were sloppy and a bit too big, white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and orange pants barely held on by brown suspenders. Even his blue and yellow gloves were too large for his hands. He looked, overall, ill, being so skinny.

"What? Just you two? What do they think I'm worth?" Vin yelled, grabbing at his hair.

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself." Jak muttered, earning and elbow to the ribs from Avery. He rolled his eyes. "Look, if you want, you can stay here and be metal meat, but we're leaving before those monsters catch up."

"Vin, we need to get back to the warp gate. What is the fastest possible route?" Vin removed the box's from the doorway as he spoke.

"Uhm, well, _fastest_ would be down this cliff side. From there it's a straight shot to the gate. But we would have to climb down and-"

"Well than, we should start moving." Jak said, already moving toward the cliff side.

"W-wait! We can't climb down!"

"Why not?" Daxter yelled, crossing his arms over his chest. Vin visibly jumped.

"Well…I'm…sorta…afraid of heights…" Avery raised a brow, looking at him with annoyance.

"You fly around on that goddamn lift all the time!"

"Yeah, but that's different! It has a gate and a backup power supply and I installed a strap to secur-"

"We don't have time for this. You climb or you stay." Jak growled out, glaring at Vin.

"Oh-fine! But if I fall, one of you better catch me!" Jak went down first, followed by Avery, and then Vin. The climb down was uneventful, to their relief. When they were only several feet from the ground, they were surprised to see no metal heads.

"Looks like a clean shot!" Daxter announced happily, more than ready to take advantage of the quiet ground.

However, it all changed when Jak's boot hit the ground.

Jak turned to see several Grunts racing their way, catching them off guard. Avery landed next to him, having jumped her remaining distance. She took her gun out and immediately started shooting as more came.

"Take Vin and go first, I'll cover!" She called over the shots of her own gun. Jak was shooting to the left and she to the right, trying to avoid being cornered. Vin was shooting….but whether or not he was hitting was unknown.

"No. I'll cover." She gave him a look before sighing; deciding now was not the time to argue.

"Fine. Vin!" She grabbed his arms to get his attention. "Ready to run like hell?"

"Well, I would rath-ah!" Vin suddenly yet out a small yell as Avery grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind her. She braced her blaster against her arm and shot randomly as she went. She didn't dare look back as she led him to the gate. She could hear the shots from Jak's gun behind her, the sound much deeper and full than her single shots from the blaster. The gate was within reach and she nearly threw Vin in as she turned to Jak. He was no longer directly behind her. It was obvious where he was, since a group of metal heads saw fit to gang up on _something _a couple yards back.

Without hesitation, Avery ran forward, her heart beating hard against her ribcage. Most of the metal heads were preoccupied with Jak, giving her no trouble as she ran forward. She didn't get the chance to even raise her gun.

A feral cry ripped through the noise of the metal heads, and she instantly recognized the voice as Jak's. Her heart dropped, thinking for a split second that perhaps he had been hurt. That was all forgotten as purple electricity rose from the middle of the group.

Everything moved so quickly, she barely had time to register it all. Metal heads flew back several feet as Jak…was it Jak?...ripped through them with black claws. His black eyes showed his anger as he killed. Avery could see the blackish purple blood of the metal heads being absorbed by Jak, causing more of the electricity to rise from his skin. The currents looks so familiar, but she had no time to contemplate it. He turned toward her after all the metal heads were gone, his eyes resting on her. She felt icy fear grip her heart, making it hard to breathe or move. Conscious thought barely reached her as he stepped forward, a feral grin on his face. She could hear a high, warning voice calling, but didn't understand it. Somewhere deep in her mind, she registered that it was Daxter calling for her, telling her to move. She didn't see him running into her field of vision behind Jak, waving his arms for her attention. No, she only watched him come closer. Her body was frozen, breaths coming in small, quiet gasps. It wasn't long before he stood right in front of her.

He was about two inches away from her, forcing her to look nearly straight up to meet his eyes. She seemed mystified by them, trying to understand why they seemed so familiar. The whole experience seemed familiar.

His hand rose without her notice until she felt three claws making contact with the flesh of her neck. He traced across from left to right, enjoying her fear. She shivered at the touch, the cold spreading through her body.

"Avery, for the love of the precursors!" Consciousness slammed back into her, leaving her momentarily dazed. Jak, or whatever this was, seemed upset as the trance left her. He drew his hand back and Avery knew she had about a millisecond to move. She dove out of his reach to the left, rolling to her feet quickly as he jumped after her. She holstered her gun as she backed away from him. He stood, looking sickeningly amused. She could see that this wasn't Jak, but something told her he _was_ there. This creature was angry, violent, sadistic, enjoying her fear and lusting for blood. He was the complete opposite of Jak.

So why was he there? _What_ was he?

"Jak, what the hell are you doing?" She whispered, keeping him in her sights. He didn't seem in any hurry to harm her, rather that he wanted to play with his prey. She could feel it in the air.

She didn't like it.

She hoped that she could reach Jak and pull him out of whatever this was. Who knew what was really going on, where Jak went. She didn't even know what this was!

"Jak, stop!" She yelped as something pulled at her pants until she realized Daxter had perched himself onto her shoulder.

Jak hesitated in his movements.

"Daxter, talk to Jak!" She said frantically, having backed herself up against a wall.

"What?" Jak was too close for comfort again, and Daxter's ears went back in slight fear. "Hey buddy! It's uh, us, you know, Daxter and Avery, Jak? Jak!" Daxter's pleading tone seemed to work as Jak suddenly stepped back sloppily. His pale hands went up to his head and he wavered slightly. The transformation amazed her.

His claws and horns receded at the same time that his gray hair returned to its normal green and blond. The gray-blue tint of his skin tanned, and soon Jak looked up with cerulean blue pools once more.

Avery could finally take a deep breath, bringing a hand up to her heart and feeling the frantic thud. Daxter jumped down from her shoulder and approached his friend.

"Hey..buddy…you okay?" Jak still held one hand to his head, wincing at the pounding sensation.

"Yeah…Guess I still have a few more trips to that oracle…" He froze as Avery cleared her throat. Her arms were crossed over her chest, looking at him intensely. She took a calming breath and looked down slightly.

"You have some explaining to do." She said simply, her voice sharp.

Jak couldn't resist the sudden annoyance running through him.

"_I_ have some explaining to do? When are you going to start talking?" Avery's jaw dropped at the attitude in his voice. Her shock quickly turned to anger as her arms dropped to her sides, hands balling into fists as she glared.

"Maybe I'm not ready to talk." She spat, turning and walking away from the two boys. She hesitated, turning her head back slightly until she could see him in the corner of her eye. "You've changed. A lot." She quickly broke out into a run, and Jak crossed his arms, staring at her as she jumped through the gate.

"Smooth." Daxter said sarcastically. "At least now you can only go up." Jak rolled his eyes, following her path at a slower pace. "I think your nickname should be Jak: The Ladies Man." Daxter said, moving his hands apart in a rainbow motion as he looked towards the sky.

"Shut up, Dax." Jak said lowly, jumping through the warp gate. They reappeared in the Power Station, Vin typing away at some computer to the right of the circular room.

"Oh, hey guys!" He called enthusiastically. "Listen, I've got a few things to ask-"

"Later." Jak responded flatly, walking through the room towards the door.

"But the metal-"Vin's desperate call was cut off by the door slamming shut.

* * *

"Now that's the _second_ time you've returned on your own." Torn commented as she walked through the door. At her vicious glare, he raised his hands in submission. "What happened?" The question was more like a demand, and it didn't help to put out the fire Avery felt running through her veins. She had taken a joy ride around the city to calm down, but nothing she did helped. At this point, she was starting to get a headache.

"Don't ever partner us up again." She said hotly, pacing in front of the bunks. Torn raised an eyebrow at her.

"Did you find Vin?" She stopped and spun in his direction.

"Did we find….Of course we found Vin! I'm not incapable of completing a mission!" She pointedly didn't mention Jak.

"And Jak?"

"Oh, he did fine, I guess. I mean, besides slowing me down and questioning my methods, which, by the way, worked. If he would have just listened to me in the first place, I wouldn't have needed him to catch me or back me up or-"

"So, he saved you?" Avery stopped, glaring. Torn didn't try to hide his smirk.

"He wouldn't have needed to!" She fell back onto her bunk, rubbing the palms of her hands into her eyes. They were burning with exhaustion and frustration as she let out a long sigh.

"I think things are going to get very interesting, having Jak around." He said suddenly, causing her to sit up and shoot him a questioning look. "I've seen you angry before, but I haven't seen you so worked up since you first arrived. He's putting the fire back in you, and we need that. Things are starting to speed up." Avery stood and approached him, catching his hidden meaning.

"What's come up?" Torn smirked, moving over to a map of the fortress. He held up a security pass on a lanyard, locking eyes with her.

"Feel like playing spy?"

* * *

"You going to the races this week?"

"Of course! I got a big bet on the next races." Avery looked around the corner cautiously, spotting two Krimzon Guards down the hall. They were walking away from her, obviously too relaxed to even think someone was around the corner.

"Errol's my point! He always wins." Avery nearly growled as they mentioned Errol. She took a deep breath, silently letting it out. She wasn't here for him.

She watched the guards disappear around a corner before she stood and moved as quickly as she could down the hall, staying close to the wall. The guards went to the left, so she went right.

"_There will be no guards there, if our information is correct."_

She sincerely hoped Torn was correct.

She made her way down the corridor, recalling the mental picture of the map he had shown her. As far as she could tell, she was on the right track. If she was correct, she was three turns away from the goal. She paced herself, moving quickly and silently through the halls. She learned soon that Torn was right, there were no guards. Throughout the mission, she had taken an opposite route from the guards without recalling the map, and it had brought her to the correct location. She let herself relax as she approached the door that held the Baron and his daughter.

Avery had met Ashelin briefly in the past. She had come to inform Torn on the metal head movement outside the city and Torn had brought Avery, Tess, and three other members of the underground to back him up. The meeting area was at the Pumping Station, and they were all preparing for any sort of metal head ambush. She remembered Ashelin being a fairly exotic woman, with angled features and prominent attractions that, she had noted, Torn felt obligated to glance at before stepping forward to meet her.

Ashelin was very bold and confident. Avery hadn't liked her attitude and her seductive movements. Despite this, she had to admit that she was fairly strong and useful. She had used Ashelin as a sort of role model, which is one of the main factors for her lack of filter.

Now, Avery had been sent to hear what their plans were. Ashelin was being watched more every day, and meetings with the underground commander would not do well for her. The mission was simple: Listen in as long as she could without getting caught, and then get her ass back to the hideout.

Avery pushed herself up against the door, pressing her ear against the crack between the metal door and wall.

"Ashelin, your report displeases me. We need that girl!" Avery pressed herself closer to the wall, one hand over her other ear to enhance her hearing.

"No, but we have found out information on her. She is known as Kit, and-"

"I am not concerned with her name!" Avery winced at the yell, which was quickly followed by a loud thud. "I want her back in the program!" Avery nearly allowed herself to gasp. She sincerely hoped that Ashelin wouldn't sell her out.

"The KG are searching for her." She answered, her voice rising. Avery let out a quiet breath of relief.

"It's not enough! Commander! Go arrange the guards, she _must_ be found immediately! Ashelin, you and your squadron will be searching for something of equal value…" Before any more information could be heard, Avery heard footsteps approaching the door. Her heart fluttered as she backed away, fighting the urge to freeze on the spot. She turned the other way and ran, looking for anything to hide behind. She stopped at the sound of voices down the hall, looking around for any indent in the walls or conveniently placed boxes. She didn't know what possessed her to look up, but she was glad for it.

Errol walked out of the room, shutting the door and muffling the voices of the Baron and his daughter. He marched from the room and down the hall toward the other voices. "Officers!"

Avery held her breath as Errol passed by without hesitation. He turned the corner and she jumped from the ledge she had climbed on, her muscles stiff from the scrunched-up position she had forced herself into. She quickly followed his path, unwilling to remain in the fortress any longer with Errol walking the halls.

* * *

"Mmm, quite the money collectors, 'ey?" Jak tried to hide the scowl attempting to take over his features.

He had just returned after collecting fourteen bags of cash for Krew, and had received a lot of attention from the guards. Along with having to keep a drunk Daxter from falling off his shoulder.

Well, until he was sobered by his near-death experience.

"Here's a gun upgrade." He tossed the upgrade over his shoulder, Jak catching it calmly. He examined the piece of equipment before smirking. "Now get out! I need my beauty nap."

"Trust me, brother. There aren't enough hours in the day." Krew turned, rage on his features, but Jak turned immediately, not willing to risk his new upgrade due to Daxter's big mouth. Once outside the saloon, Jak immediately ducked into a nearby alley. Guards were patrolling the streets, having seen him drive into the port. "Oh, great! How are we gonna get around all of these losers?"

"Looks like we'll just have to lay low until the alarm goes down." He said dismissively, taking out his gun. He was more interested in the upgrade. He attached the yellow pod into the top of his morph-gun, examining it.

"Hey! That looks like Avery's attachment!" Jak observed the red sight the attachment added, smirking.

"It is." He loaded the gun, bringing it up to look through the sight. Smirking, he brought it back down. "Can't wait to put it to use."

"Why don't we put it to use on the guards about to chase us!" Jak turned to see several guards looking at him from the mouth of the alley.

"Time to go!"

* * *

"Kit, report." The comm. Unit hovered around her head, Torn's face on the small screen. She rolled her eyes, grabbing the unit and turning it off before shoving it into the pouch on her belt.

She had gone into the fortress late in the morning, and now she was re-entering the underground late in the afternoon. She almost couldn't believe it had taken her so long to finish the mission.

The door slid open to welcome her, and she was met with the sound of Torn cursing.

That is, until he noticed her.

"Damnit Kit, don't ever ignore a-"

"Whatever." She waved her hand dismissively, shocking Torn at her attitude. "Listen, I couldn't find out much, and I can't go back in to find out more."

"Why not?" Avery sighed, jumping up onto the table and sitting on the map. He glared, but she ignored it entirely.

"They're looking for me." The surprise that shone in his eyes could have been seen from miles away. "Some kind of program they want me in…I think it has something to do with what they were doing with me before…"

"The Dark Warrior program…" Torn muttered, looking down. He began pacing.

"Pardon?"

"That's the program they were working on. They theory that by injecting concentrated dark eco, they could transform ordinary people into some kind of super warrior. It was the last straw that drove me out of working for the guard. Countless people died…when I left, it was still a failure."

"Why did I survive?" Torn placed his hands on the table next to her, leaning over as he thought.

"I don't know. Most didn't last the first night." Silence passed for a moment as Avery thought, staring straight forward. She could have died at any time, or be dying now. Why, then, did she feel so fine after waking up? Why had she felt so capable after three months of no activity, barely any food, and constant injections of raw dark eco? Torn's sigh broke her thoughts and the silence, gaining her attention. "I should have gone in to get you sooner. We have no way of telling how it will affect you…no one has ever survived before." He looked up with concerned eyes. Avery noted that he showed emotion to her more than he did to anyone else. She sent him a smile, catching him off guard.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." He stared at her for a moment before pushing away from the table.

"Report any changes you feel, mentally or physically. There's no telling what it will do or how noticeable it will be." He paused for a moment in thought. "From now on, you and Jak will be working together." Avery's jaw dropped, eyes wide.

"But-"

"No buts. I can't have you out alone with the entire guard looking for you." She glared. "I can't have you sitting out either. Not if we want progress." He muttered, looking away. "The two of you are our best shot in saving this city. It'll take both of you for us to be successful. Learn to play nice." Avery rolled her eyes, jumping off the table.

"Ashelin was taken off the job to find me and put on another search, but I don't know for what or why. That's all I could find out." She didn't wait for a response, moving over to her bunk and taking off all her effects. Torn was silent as she crossed the room to the small door on the left, shutting herself inside.

The room held only one basic shower with a tattered black curtain. Avery made sure the door was completely shut before she began to strip, folding her clothes and placing them near the door. She was sick of feeling disgusting, covered in dirt and sweat. Normally, she would just go to Haven Forest and wash both herself and her clothes before perching on a rock near the side, allowing herself to dry. It would take a while, two hours at least, but she would feel amazing afterwards, with clean clothing and a fresh smell of nature. Of course, with the rise of metal heads, she wasn't sure if it was safe enough to go there anymore, and she certainly was too tired to fight. No, she would deal with the dirty clothing for now. She just wanted to feel clean.

The water was lukewarm at best, but she couldn't complain. The waters at the forest changed temperature all the time, sometimes being ice cold, other times being the complete opposite. She could deal with lukewarm. Besides, the water felt wonderful on her tired body, soothing her muscles and helping her to relax. Avery would often fall asleep in the waters at the forest and wake up seconds before going under. Luckily, one thing she learned in Sandover was how to swim.

She ran her fingers through her hair until it felt clean, weighed down by the water and sticking to her skin. She noticed that it had grown slightly longer than it used to be.

When she arrived in Haven, she found that it became a hassle. With the help of Tess, she had cut her hair to chin-length, pinning it behind her ears and out of her face. She found it to be a slight mistake, as she could not tie her hair back. She let it grow out to mid-neck, forever tying it back. Now it was back to being slightly below her shoulders, and she knew she would have to cut it soon. Long hair tended to be hot, hard to tie up, and easy to knot.

Who wants to deal with that?

She scratched at her scalp one final time before running her fingers through her hair to remove any last pieces of dirt. She then moved onto her body, washing the firt from her skin and scowling at the tinted color of the water as it left her. She finished quickly, doing a quick check of her body to make sure she didn't have any stubborn smudges of dirt. She ran her hands over her legs, scowling at the feeling of slight stubble returning. She groaned, realizing she forgot her spare knife in the other room. Deciding it could wait another day, she turned off the water and rung out her hair. She grabbed one of the towels that were kept in the room, drying herself off and rubbing the towel against her head roughly to dry her hair.

She was just about to pick up her clothes when a loud banging came from the door.

"Hey, hurry up in there, sister!" Avery raised an eyebrow in amusement at Daxter's yell. "I would like to take a shower _this year!_" She slipped on her clothes, taking a moment to groan at the feeling of the dirty cloth against her clean skin. She tied her back in a messy bun before opening the door to a very annoyed Daxter, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared. She smirked, stepping out around him. "_Thank_ you." He shuffled into the room and slammed the door behind him. Avery laughed silently as she made her way over to her bed. Neither Torn or Jak happened to be in the hideout, and she took the time to enjoy the quiet. She her belt and gun and shoved them under her bed along with her boots before squirming under the covers. Sparring no time for idle thought, she willed herself to sleep.

* * *

Okay, this one jumped a little. Tell me what you thought about the mission...and everything else! ;)

SYANU!


	7. Chapter 7

I have no clue why, but this story is just so easy to write right now :D I liked writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy reading it. Also, please, god, **review! **I like feedback. I love it. I want to hear your opinions!

Special thanks to **Spirit01, GamerGirlAK47, ****Xxnikkigirl123xX, Ravinae, **and **Zero121** for reviewing and letting me know you're enjoying the fic! Let's keep these reviews up! :D

I own nothing except Avery/Kit, her story, and...anything else I came up with that's not from the Jak and Daxter trilogy. :D Enjoy!

* * *

Avery gasped tensely as she woke, the last images of her dream as well as the chilling laughter hanging on for only a minute more as she blinked hard against the light in the room. She registered that some quiet talking had been taking place a split-second before her gasp, and now it was completely silent. Avery looked across the room at Torn and Jak, who were now looking over at her. After a few moments, she glared, snapping a quick "What!" at them before turning over and tossing the thin, scratchy blanket back over herself. She could practically feel Torn rolling his eyes.

"Good morning, sunshine." Jak's statement caused both annoyance and amusement to run through her, and she couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to laugh or yell. She decided to just sigh in aggravation; feeling unsatisfied as she sat up and ran her fingers through her slightly knotted hair, hissing as they tugged on said knots. She could hear snoring on one of the upper bunks, and as she stood, she saw the bright orange fur of Daxter. Rolling her eyes, she turned to the two boys across the room, one of which was still watching her while the other was observing some files on the table. She locked eyes with Jak, arching an eyebrow in question. He looked away in response.

"So…what's on for today?" She asked, kneeling next to her bed to pull out her boots and weapons.

"I don't have anything for today." She looked up, giving him an incredulous look. "I'm in contact with an informant. Until we can come to any conclusion about the KG's current movements, we're going to lie low."

"No way? This is the first time in two years that we've sat for more than ten hours." Of course, she was being sarcastic. Torn responded with his appropriate, exasperated sigh before moving his glare back down to the table.

"Just make sure you have your comm. units on you if you stray too far." Somewhere in the middle of his sentence, Avery had stood and arched her back in a deep stretch, bringing her arms above her head and linking her fingers together to intensify the stretch. She let out a satisfied groan as several pops ran up her spine, feeling as if tension had finally been released. Torn would have been annoyed if he wasn't so used to her blatant disrespect.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to spend my day off doing something _I_ wanna do." He waved her off half-heartedly.

"Where?" The question had come from Jak, now watching her with interest as opposed to the amusement that had been in his eyes mere seconds ago. Avery turned abruptly to the sheets and pillow resting on her bed, rumpled and thrown aside. She used her time, fixing her bed, to debate whether or not she wanted to tell Jak the truth. It was obvious that he still wanted to _talk_, but she could not decide if she had any real desire to do so, and more so if she wanted to on her day off. After several moments of silence, she finally gave in to her deep desire to spend _some_ time with her old friend and see if he _was_ the Jak she remembered.

"Haven Forest." She stated simply, patting her pillow until it was smooth before shoving it at the head of the bed. She smoothed her hands over the sheets as she waited for the inevitable question.

"Mind if we tag along?" She smirked as he proved her correct. Feeling as if she had no reason to keep her back to him, she wiped the smirk off her face and finally faced him, a warning look in her eyes.

"Sure, but I have something to do first."

"We'll come with you anyway." _Of course you will…_Instead of voicing her thoughts, she nodded once and turned to begin her way down the hall and up the steps.

"Meet me outside once you get the Ottsel." She stated flatly skipping up the steps with refreshed energy. It was surprising to her that she did not feel completely drained, after her vivid nightmare. Or maybe it was just an experience in another world. Either way, she had been quite terrified, more so than she had ever been in her entire life. She could practically feel her skin tearing where claws met flesh, ripped at her stomach and arms, dark eco dancing across her flesh, burning her skin, biting down and sinking in to corrupt her from the inside out. She wondered how long the nightmare had actually lasted. It didn't take long for things to get started, and Avery knew by experience that all it took was an overwhelming emotion or physical sense to take away your knowledge of time. Her pain could have lasted for anywhere between five minutes to seven hours, and she would not have known the difference…._didn't_ know the difference. No, the only thing she knew was the pain had been intense, had been _everywhere,_ and the darkness surrounding her only crushed against her and held her down like an overdose of gravity, solely applied to only her being, and certainly not the one attacking her so viciously. No, she,_ it,_ had moved with grace, weightlessness, a swift and fierce foe that had taken her down without even touching her. Avery was certain that her own incapability to fight back had been caused by this monster from the very start.

Jak and Daxter did not take long to meet her outside. Avery had already chosen her single-person zoomer and was pleased to find she did not have to wait long for Jak to find his own. In less than five minutes from her departure from the underground, they were already moving out of the alley and towards her destination. The boys followed without question, and Avery knew that it was solely because of the attitude she had picked up recently. She felt bad, acting so negatively and guarded towards her two old friends. It was the one thing she had hoped _wouldn't_ happen, long ago when she still thought she had a chance at finding them. She had hoped she would still be the same girl they once knew, but after giving up hope, she had abandoned her old self. It was all she could do to keep from letting the city break her. The only one who knew her from this city, knew the _real_ Avery, was Torn. He had told her immediately to change, told her how to act, what to say, who to be. Avery couldn't exist here. Avery couldn't survive here.

They reached the stadium in only five minutes, leaving Avery a bit more optimistic about the day. She'd be able to see her mechanic, get her board tuned-up, and go to the forest within the next half hour. Perfect.

She climbed off of her zoomer outside of the stadium, taking a right to go passed the race entry way without waiting for Jak or Daxter. She didn't even falter when Jak called out to her.

"Hey, Av!" She would have glared if she could bring herself to care at the moment. "What are we doing here?" She turned without faltering in step, only continuing at a steady backwards pace.

"We're here to see my mechanic." She didn't miss the exchange of confused glances between the boys as she turned around again.

"Uhm, Okay, but ah, you're going the wrong way!" Daxter said, his shrill voice bouncing off the walls and creating an echo. "The mechanic is that-a way!" Avery rolled her eyes. Could they be so dense?

"Do you really think that there is only _one_ mechanic in the entire city? There wouldn't be any _races_ if that were true." She let out a fake giggle at their mistake before she turned into an open door to the right. It was a regular door, as opposed to the garage doors surrounding it. The boys followed close behind as she led them down a hall. "Personally, I've never met any of the other mechanics. Ace and I always got along _just_ fine." Her voice was lilting slightly in careless happiness. She decided, right then, that she needed more days off.

Soon enough, they went through a door that led to a large room filled with cars, equipment, and jet-boards of different styles. A large metal table sat off to the far right corner of the room, and Avery bounded over with absolutely no hesitation.

"Ace!" Jak hadn't quite noticed behind the car that there was a large man lying under it, providing sounds of a ratchet at work, until he pushed himself out.

The man was fairly large, reaching a height that almost matched Sig's. This man, however, was only slightly tanned. He was fit and toned from obviously lifting heavy parts and the like. He was bald with one single piercing in his left ear. Finally, tattoos littered his body, sloppy and dark.

Regardless of the slightly intimidating profile, Ace smiled down at Avery, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hey there, girly. Haven't seen you around since the last races!" He laughed deeply, to which Avery gave a light "hmm" of laughter in response. "So what brings ya back, then?" She reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out her jet-board, holding it out for Ace to take. He did so with a certain look of fondness in his eyes, smirking.

"Time for a tune-up, right?"

"Of course. I was wondering when you were going to bring in my greatest creation." He turned and took the three steps toward the table, resting the board down and expanding it. A few minutes of silence passed, and Avery had looked over at Jak and Daxter once to make sure they were around before she turned back, throwing herself onto the clean area of the workbench and leaning back against the wall.

"So how are the races lookin', big guy?" Ace was normally a man who was very focused on the jobs put in front of him, and sometimes he forgot that he possessed the ability to work and talk at the same time. It was like he was drawn into this void where all that existed was his love for mechanics. Avery certainly didn't have the patience to listen to silence for the ten or fifteen minutes it would take him to finish the board. Five had already passed and she was already going insane. Not to mention Jak looked fairly uneasy, and though she found it amusing, it made the air tense.

Ace glanced up at her form for a moment before smirking.

"I heard that sweetheart down the other end got a new driver, or is thinking about it at least. I'm starting to think _someone_ should come back out onto the track." Avery raised an eyebrow at him as he worked, shaking her head a moment later.

"You know racing isn't my thing."

"Maybe not, but you're damn good at it." Avery shrugged, looking up at the ceiling where many of the extra car parts that Ace held dear hung precariously, waiting for any type of shockwave through the earth's surface, anything to aid them in swinging _just so_….

"Too busy with the Underground anyway. This is the first day I haven't had anything to do."

"I'm sure we could work out somethin'? Come on, honey, you know this'd be helping me out a lot, if you were to be my racer." Avery sighed deeply.

"Tell ya what. You let me ride on your best bike, that sweet model in the back with the extra boosters, and I'll race for you."

"Nah, never. I'll give you second best." Avery let her jaw drop with a gasp in false offence, letting her hand fly up to her heart.

"Second best? For me, your _Ace-in-the-hole_? I'm appalled, sir, appalled." She heard Ace cluck his tongue at her, turning and throwing down whatever device he had been using on her beloved jet-board. He handed her the device back, giving her a firm look.

"They are doing things different this time around. More racers, ya hear? Two rounds for class three."Avery shrugged, uninterested once more.

"Yeah yeah, sure. You got my info." She jumped down off the table, walking towards her friends and leaving Ace back to his car.

"I'll be contactin' you soon!" Jak and Daxter both looked at her with raised eyebrows as she approached, and she paused for a moment to return the look for a moment.

"_What?_" She practically snapped the question before turning around and continuing her way out to the zoomers. Jak and Daxter remained stunned for a moment before following her.

"So…she's a racer…" Daxter muttered, slightly disbelieving of the fact.

"She does drive fast." Jak returned, observing her figure as she hopped on her zoomer. "I wonder if we'll be racing against her."

"That mechanic said there were two sections of class 3 races." Daxter supplied, sensing Jak's uneasiness about the situation.

"Yeah, but what about the other two classes?" The question was rhetorical, and Daxter thankfully picked up on that as Jak climbed onto the zoomer, looking over at Avery expectantly. She nodded her head once and started up the zoomer, making her way toward the agricultural section of the city. It wasn't very far away, and soon she was leading them over dirt paths that led to the gate outside of the city. She parked her zoomer just outside the door at the top of the ramp, waiting for Jak to copy her before getting off of the machinery and heading toward the door. She exhaled tension as she stepped past the threshold, excited to finally be returning to the forest. It didn't matter that the city was tense and depressed. It didn't matter that metal heads were at their walls, waiting for the moment to attack. The Baron didn't exist, and as a matter of fact, neither did the past two years of uncertainty, fear, confusion, pain and all other negative emotion that seemed to completely overtake her. No, here, it was just Avery and the forest. It was just her stepping onto the ancient precursor platform that brought her over to the forest. She hardly ever noticed the extra weight that was added by Jak stepping on beside her. She watched as they passed a first entrance, where one could clearly see stray metal heads roaming. They would never reach her, where she was going. The forest _was_ a haven, much like the city had apparently been when Mar had taken charge. It was only by this wondrous power of the shadow that kept the forest clean of these monsters; this she knew. However, she couldn't help but hope the forest had some mystical power of its own, to keep itself safe. She would hate to think of losing the forest were anything to happen to the shadow.

Finally they reached the ledge that was the entrance of the forest, and Avery let herself smile widely as she jumped from the platform. Here she could connect with nature, with normal creatures like birds and fish and bugs that were resistant to the world's terrible changes. Here she could feel the wind, calm and cool, against her skin and brushing her hair back away from her face. Here, the sun was a relaxing warmth that started at her skin, that her body absorbed and spread throughout her until she couldn't feel that cold sadness, that biting anger and even that dark blood thirst that had seem to rise from nowhere. Together with the sounds of nature, the waterfall provided background music for her to focus on under the crunching of grass and leaves under her light steps. She walked the distance to the river and followed it up to the waterfall, taking a deep breath in, her eyes fluttering closed as that undeniably clean air entered her lungs. She looked up at the wall of falling water, the smile still on her lips as she observed the sunlight reflecting in sparkles off of the water. She had forgotten entirely that she wasn't alone as she sat down, taking off her boots and sticking her feet in the water, looking down and smiling as some small fish scattered. She leaned back, putting her hands behind her as support as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, soaking up as much of the sun as possible. She lost track immediately of any sense of time, finally feeling entirely relaxed. That is, until she heard shuffling beside her. Her eyes snapped open and she watched as Jak lowered himself to the ground beside her, looking out over the forest.

Silence passed between the three of them for a bit, though Daxter looked thoroughly bored. Avery figured Jak probably asked him to be as quiet as possible if he wanted to come. Avery had long ago studied Jak's profile and now was lying down, arms folded under her head in a substitute for a pillow. She felt an awkward sort of atmosphere and huffed in annoyance as it destroyed her relaxation. Inhaling softly, she figured that Jak wouldn't break the silence.

"This is the only place the metal heads don't reach. Nice, isn't it? The shadow protects it. I haven't been out here in a while." Jak had turned his head to look down at her, but she simply stared up at the blue sky and the white clouds.

"Yeah, nice." Daxter muttered, sarcasm under his words. Jak shot a glare at him, and the ottsel sighed before jumping off his shoulder. "I'll just uh…go over this way." He said flatly, bounding away towards the entrance of the forest. Avery paid no mind to it. This was the only place they were safe. As far as she was concerned, he could go wherever he wanted, so long as he stayed in the forest.

"Avery?" His approach wasn't so much timid as it was gentle. Still, something in his tone indicated that he was the slightest bit nervous about the conversation he wanted to have. She felt it'd just be easier for her to lead him in the right direction so they could get this conversation over with. She wanted to enjoy her day off, and she'd be damned if the two of them spent the rest of the day beating around the bush.

"What happened?" She sat up, looking over at him and his slightly confused expression. "When I fell out of the rift. What happened after?" Realization dawned in his eyes for a split second before he turned to face the water again.

"Oh." He took a moment to get comfortable, one hand behind him for support as he leaned back. He straightened his left leg out and brought his right knee up, laying his free arm across it as he sighed. "We left the rift almost right after you did. It was just me and Dax…"He took a moment to remember what happened that day. "We didn't have long to look around. Errol and his guards came and knocked me out. Said something about the Barron wanting me. Dax got away, and two years later broke me out of the fortress." Avery stared at him, blinking slowly.

"What? That's it? You were held captive for two years and he just came and…_broke_ you out? What happened to you in those two years? What _was_ that at the strip mine?" Jak scowled slightly, and Avery took in the new expression on his face. His negativity was just astounding to her.

"The Barron decided to do a few experiments on me…involving dark eco." She watched as his scowl deepened, his whole being suddenly feeling darker…angrier. He was thinking hard about his experiences, she could see, as he seemed to be staring at a blade of grass in front of him with no particular interest. "They pumped eco into me everyday, taunted me. Said I was the only one able to survive. The night Daxter came would have probably been my last. They didn't see fit to keep me around. I wasn't reacting the way they'd hoped." His voice had dropped in tone to a growl, and Avery couldn't help raising an eyebrow in interest. "I thought I'd never get out…that I'd never see you or Keira again." Her other eyebrow raised as well in a look of surprise now. She couldn't tell whether or not she should feel jealous or important. He had thought of them, like she had thought of him. Only, she barely thought about the others, even Daxter. Most of her thoughts had always been on him.

She hated it.

"I thought I'd never see anyone either. I didn't think it was true…at first." She provided, hoping to give him some sort of connection back to reality, to remind him that he was sharing his story with his friend and not just a brick wall that happened to be beside him. It worked, for the dark look on his face had receded slightly. He let out a deep sigh, looking up towards the sky like she had earlier.

"Something happened to me. All that dark eco changed something. I can't…always…control myself. It's like something is taking over for me….and I have these dark thoughts all of a sudden…I'm just-"

"Angry." She finished, her eyes still inspecting him. He nodded in agreement, finally locking eyes with her. "So that's what happened at the strip mine?" Again, he nodded, only looking a bit hesitant.

"In a way. I had some sort of control that time. I…found this Oracle. It granted me some sort of control…I can at least remember what happened when I change now." He said, shrugging lightly. She had no response now, happy to finally have answers to the questions that had been swimming around her brain since saving Vin….since being lost in a city all by herself. Part of her didn't want to believe it was so simple. Caught and tortured for two years, and that's that. Her conversation with Torn about the Dark Warrior program suddenly came back to her and she was about to mention it when Jak suddenly saw fit to ask her some questions.

"What about you? It looks like you've had a…productive time here." He said somewhat awkwardly. Now it was her turn to stare out into space as she recalled everything she had done the past two years. It all seemed so unreal to her now, as if she had dreamt it all. Regardless, she told Jak about her first week in Haven, meeting Torn and being introduced to the Underground. He had scoffed, explaining that they had to 'prove themselves' to get in, and Avery couldn't help but smile. Torn _had_ become paranoid over the past year, with good reason. She went on to explain her relationship with Torn, and how he had quickly taken the roll of big brother. She explained how her first mission with the underground was similar to theirs, and how her second had gotten her mixed into the races. She had been a horrible driver back then, but had quickly caught on once she realized the zoomer's operation was similar to Keira's in Sandover. She explained how Ace had immediately become a connection and how she had met Sig in the middle of her later missions.

"Torn didn't like the idea of Sig at first, thought he was going to hurt me." Avery laughed. "Sig was so insulted. I guess you could say I have two big brothers here. They both act like it."

"I thought Sig had nothing to do with the Underground." Jak's question caused Avery to scoff.

"Of course he doesn't; he's a wastelander! He couldn't care less about this city and it's Barron." She snorted once before continuing on with her story. "Anyway, have you met Tess?" and so she went on to explain how wonderful and a bit ditzy Tess was. Finally, after an eternity, she had reached the part of her capture.

"What exactly happened to you?" Avery bit her lip in thought. She hated that she couldn't exactly remember, but showed Jak her scars from the IV's they had injected into her veins.

"They injected dark eco into me in a holding tank, and whenever treatments were over I was put in my cell. I don't remember anything much besides that back and forth transportation. I only remember waking up in the cot back in the underground and thinking that it was all a bad dream. "She sighed, and silence fell between them. Looking up, Avery calculated that they had probably been out there for two hours already, and she felt slightly agitated that most of it was spent with her retelling her story. Jak hadn't seemed to mind though. He had actively listened to everything she had to say and only occasionally asked questions.

Avery had come out to the forest wanting nothing but silence, her and nature alone. However, she found the desire to have a normal conversation with Jak to be overpowering, and she wracked her mind for a subject to bring up.

"Hey…Jak?" He looked over, scanning her timid expression with interest. He couldn't help the tiny smirk that slid onto his lips. It was like Avery was back, not…Kit.

When she had first denied being Avery, he had wondered if she had finally gone insane. But as he worked with her, he had seen the changes in her character. Kit was brave, stupidly so, confident, dangerous, and most definitely a loner. Avery…well, she was brave, but in a completely different sense. She was always logical. He had liked that about her back in Sandover, when logic and calm attitudes were often best. She always wanted to be with them rather than by herself, and she certainly wasn't _dangerous._ Kit was a talented fighter. Avery was a talented dancer. Kit could shoot dead-on from faraway without any thought as she ran through a field of dangerous creatures trying to rip her apart. Avery would always try to stay clear of the frogs in the forest just outside of Sandover. Kit had a warped sense of humor and was easily annoyed, while Avery was serene with a soft laugh and patience to outlast the world.

All around, the two personalities were entirely different. Despite this, it was times like these, when Avery would show herself, even just for a moment, that kept Jak from verbally acknowledging the difference. He wasn't willing to lose Avery, even by gaining Kit.

Finally, he responded with a soft "yeah?" as he observed her.

"Do you ever wonder…what could be going on at home…you know, this very moment? I mean…I know it's strange," She drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them as she looked out over the water. "But I wonder what dad is doing right now. I wonder if he knows I'm okay…if he's taking it well, or if he even knows I'm gone…we're gone." She sighed, sweeping her eyes across the trees on the other side of the small lake.

"I'm sure he's fine." Jak couldn't think of anything else to say. It was a good question, and he had honestly thought very little of Sandover as it was _now_. He had to wonder if it even still existed. A lot could change in two years.

"He took it so horribly when mother died. I hope he's okay." Jak watched her sigh deeply as she mentally replied the night her mother died. Avery used to relive that night constantly as a child, and would always run to him whenever she did. She found him comforting in his silence, never judging, only understanding. She usually never told him the reason, but he always knew. The lost look in her eyes was always enough. He watched as that same sadness reflected in them now.

Jak could remember that night himself. Keira, Daxter and Jak had all been in the lower half of the hut, watching Keira talk about this invention and that part and the like. She was just starting to create back then, and Jak was perfectly content with trying to understand what she was saying to him. Samos had gone out hours ago and told Jak and Keira to stay put, and naturally, Daxter stayed with them.

It was dark out when Samos returned, looking tired. He had explained to them that Avery's mother had been very ill and had only turned for the worse as time passed, and that she had died not more than ten minutes before Samos had returned. Samos had told them not to go; told them to respect Avery and her father and to give them space, but Jak and Daxter didn't listen. It was the first time he had ever seen Avery cry so violently, and when she had turned and ran to him, throwing herself into his embrace, he could feel her body shaking with the physical exertion it took to keep up with her sobs.

Looking back on the memory, Jak was sure that was when their friendship had cemented itself into the strong bond it was. Sure, they had always been friends, but Avery had always been quiet and reserved towards him. That night changed it all. She had barely been eleven.

Avery blinked back the rising moisture and forced her thoughts away from her family. She missed Sandover and the calm it possessed. She had come to grips long ago that she might never return home. It didn't hurt any less though, thinking about the fact for the millionth time as opposed to the first.

"You know, I wonder what the bird-lady is doing." Avery blinked several times before turning her slightly blurry gaze over to Jak. He only looked at her out of his peripherals, smirking in amusement.

"What?" He chuckled softly, turning towards her.

"You remember, don't you? That old lady that thought Daxter was a bird, made us all go down and push some egg off a cliff." Avery smiled now as she remembered, reaching up a hand to rub at her irritated eyes.

"Right, the Flut Flut Bird. He certainly came in handy." The conversation ran from there. They started with making fun of all the other villagers from Sandover before moving on to how they had grown as fighters. They talked about metalheads, about the Underground, about jet-boards and races. Jak even inquired on her love life, jokingly, and Avery had simply scoffed in response. "I don't have time for that shit." She had said rather quickly, trying to fight down a rising blush. Jak simply smirked and changed the subject once more.

Finally, the sun had reached the other half of the sky, rapidly falling, and Avery gaped as she took notice.

"We've been out here all day!"

"I wonder where Daxter went." Jak muttered, looking around him as if the ottsel would randomly appear at his side. Avery stood, frowning as she, too, observed the area.

"I have no clue. Didn't he go back up to the entrance?" She asked, walking in that direction as she suggested it. Jak was quick to follow her, and soon the two of them were climbing the conveniently placed rocks to the top, pushing themselves up and both freezing at the sight of Daxter, snoring ontop of a flat rock. Jak grinned as Avery rolled her eyes. "Of course."

* * *

So, not too much _action_ in this chapter, but I felt it was certainly interesting enough...to me, at least. :)

I have a request for all of you loyal readers. Those of you who find an...inconsistency in the story...such as the fact that Avery's necklace was not mentioned in her earlier descriptions...anything of that nature...I would appreciate a review so I can fix it. I tend to have an inability to work on one story at a time, and I also like to read fanfics and go about my daily life, and I just don't have the time to read through my story in as much detail as I would like. I miss things often, so please let me know if you find anything.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Review!

SYANU


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, here it is. This is actually kinda a part 1 of 2..again...and the next chapter is going up immediately after I do a quick proofreading.

**Ecofreakrsa17 **and **NobodysAngel38**, thanks you so much for your reviews and words of encouragement. I'm so glad that you're liking this story so far!

Keep up with the reviews, guys! I'm loving every second of writing this story and I hope you're all loving it too!

* * *

"Uhh….you alright?" Avery was currently frozen in the doorway to the underground, watching as Torn paced furiously around the room. At the sound of her voice, he jumped and turned sharply toward her, glaring.

"Does it look like I'm alright?" Avery now raised an eyebrow at his biting tone, sending him a warning glare. He took no notice, however, as he turned and stalked to 'his' table.

Because, who else would spend half of their life at one table…leaning over it…and studying a map.

Avery took several steps into the room before stopping again, a hand on her hip and an annoyed expression on her face. "Well, what the hell is your problem?" He took a quick, deep breath of irritation before looking up at her.

"Where is Jak?" Avery sighed, sitting down on her bunk.

"Hell if I know. He was doing something for Vin earlier….something about metal head eggs." Torn rolled his eyes before taking out his comm. unit. "Don't bother him. What's going on?" Torn froze for a moment, debating whether or not to just contact Jak or give whatever mission he had to Avery.

"Ashelin might be in danger out at the Pumping Station. I want to send her some assistance."

"Well, I can do that." Torn frowned, putting the comm. Unit down as he thought. "Look; Jak might be busy on another mission. If she needs help, it's best someone goes now. I can do it."

"Fine." Torn gestured for Avery to join him at the table, which she did immediately. He pointed to a spot on the map, towards the back section of the station. "This is where her signal is coming from, but I haven't heard from her since she landed the hellcat. Go there and make sure she doesn't need any help."

"Gotcha." Avery pulled back from the table, but was stopped by Torn's hand wrapping around her arm. She threw him a confused glare.

"Listen. There are a few new species of metal heads down there. Stronger." He reached behind him and pulled something from a clip on his back. He held out the 3 foot rod that was silver in color. With her free hand, Avery picked it up and pushed the small, very resistant switch on the end. It expanded to five feet in length, the forked end sparking and the rounded end glowing the same blue color as the sparks. It was slightly heavier than her last one, but she was thrilled to have any juice rod at her disposal. She pressed the button again, causing it to retract, and clipped into the holster above her gun on her back as she smiled at Torn.

"Thanks."

"Just be careful." He let go of her arm, giving her a stern look as she turned, her smile turning into an amused grin as she trotted up the steps.

* * *

"We're _back!_" Daxter sang, his shrill voice hurting Jak's ears. He rolled his eyes as they entered the underground, both boys freezing at the glare Torn sent them.

"Where have you two been?" Daxter jumped down from Jak's shoulder, landing on the table in front of Torn.

"Hey, relax! We were destroyin' some big-n-nasty metal head eggs for your sharp-shooter techy." Torn growled at Daxter's sarcastic tone. "Oh, and then we stopped off to see Tess and get a couple uh…drinks for the road."

"Well while you two were off wasting time, Kit and a very important member of the KG have been getting in trouble at the Pumping Station. In fact, they still are."

"Aver-"

"It's Kit here!" Torn growled, cutting Jak off immediately. "Yes, she's in trouble. Get over here." Jak wasted no time to approach the map. "One of my old guard comrades was sent to the Pumping Station. I sent Kit out there to make sure things were running smoothly, but I haven't received word from either of them. After what you guys ran into out there, and word of what has shown up, I was afraid she may need some help. Now I'm positive-"

"Did you say 'she'?" Torn turned to glare sharply at Jak, thinking his surprised tone may have developed from sudden interest.

"Don't even think about it!" Torn turned to look back down at the map, but a certain Ottsel caught his eye. Daxter was making faces every time the swinging light illuminated his face, and irritation shot through Torn's veins. He grabbed the lamp, leaning down incredibly close to Daxter in a threatening manner. "Stop that! This is serious, you moron!" Jak put his hand in front of Daxter, moving Torn's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Whaa! That's right! Don't mess with the sugar!" Daxter struck a ninja-esque pose and Jak couldn't stop the exasperated expression from overtaking his features as he rolled his eyes. Leave it to Daxter to joke in a serious situation.

"This 'friend' of mine has helped the Underground many times before…and I'm afraid Kit may not have even reached her. The two of them together would have been unstoppable, unless stronger metal heads have made their way into the station. Go back and take a look around. Render assistance if needed." He turned and glared. "Now get you squirrelly ass outta here!" Jak turned to go, waiting for Daxter, but looked back to see Daxter making a crude face at Torn. Jak sighed in frustration before grabbing Daxter around the neck and pulling him up onto his shoulder.

"Hey! Just because he's on his uh…_cycle_ doesn't mean you have to be, too!" Jak jumped onto the zoomer he had left outside the door, starting it immediately.

"Avery could be in trouble. We don't have time for you to piss him off." Daxter scoffed, holding on to the strap running over Jak's shoulder as he took a sharp turn.

"Avery's _fine_. She's been kicking major tush for two years on her own." He said, a small hint of sarcasm in his voice. Jak only narrowed his eyes as he pulled to a stop outside of the pumping station doors. He jumped off before the zoomer was completely parked, and Daxter yelped in protest. "Hey! Big guy! Re_lax_." The door locked shut behind them and the door to the station opened, revealing several metal heads that Jak had yet to experience fighting. He took out his gun, nearly knocking Daxter off of his shoulder in the process. The new mod for his gun was powerful and allowed him to shoot from as far away as the doorway in which he stood, the red sight ensuring he hit his target. The new metal heads took six or seven shots to take down, and Jak felt anxiety rest in him at the knowledge that such powerful metal heads could have hurt Avery. As if reading his thoughts, Daxter gulped next to his ear. "Well…maybe she just…ya know…ran through them, like at the strip mine?" Jak took several cautious steps forward to his first kill and looked down at its gruesome features.

The creature had been walking on all fours. Its skin was maroon and its glowing orange eyes stared up at him, even in death. It wore minimal armor, and took about five shots to kill. The next type walked on four legs as well, though it was more set up in a spider-esque manner. Its skin was blue with orange eyes as well, its torso large. One arm held a large, armored claw. It took seven shots.

"They're uh…kinda cute, aren't they? When they're not tryin' to kill ya." Daxter said sarcastically, drawing yet another eye roll from Jak.

"Let's just find Avery…"

* * *

"Ok…ship. Right. Where are you, Ashelin?" Avery currently whispered to herself, observing the area. It had taken her an hour to get passed the hordes of metal heads that saw fit to attack her. After ridding the Pumping Station of _quite a few_ of said creatures, she finally made it to the Hellcat ship. Wary of the clearing, she stayed at the cliffs edge, listening and looking for any metal heads in the area. Her eyes landed on a raised platform of some type, and she narrowed her eyes as a feeling of familiarity washed over her. The symbol on top of the platform looked incredibly familiar and she searched her memories intensely for where she might have seen it before. Minutes passed before she heard footsteps approaching, and she quickly dodged behind a pillar of rock to her left, holding her juice rod firmly in her left hand.

"Ehh, what the heck are we doing risking our lives to rescue some old Krimzon Guard had anyway? She's probably got more facial hair than me!" Jak ignored him, having been observing the Hellcat in front of him. A loud 'thump' from behind him made him jump into action, attempting to turn. Before he could, however, a slender yet strong arm wrapped around his neck in a chokehold. Jade green eyes met his in a glare, the barrel of a pistol meeting his temple. With wide, surprised eyes, Jak raised his hands in the air in surrender.

"Who the hell are you two?" Avery moved around the corner silently, freezing at the hilarious sight before her. Jak, held immobile and helpless at gunpoint, and Daxter with his flirtatious expression. She leaned against the pillar, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking.

"Mmm, I do love a woman in uniform! Wanna bark some orders at me? Woof…woof!" he jumped on Jak's chest, leaning in close to Ashelin's face. Avery grinned now, hard-pressed to hold in her laughter. "I'm your soldier on the front lines of _love_!" He jumped back down to the ground, walking away with pride and confidence. "Waiter! Foxhole for two…" Avery finally let out a bark of laughter, causing everyone to jump. Ashelin recovered quickly, pushing Jak away.

"Keep talking and I'll raise your voice a couple of octaves." She said, glaring and pointing her gun at Daxter before turning to Avery. "And what the hell are you doing here?"

"Easy…" Jak took her attention again, attempting to calm her down. He finally felt calm, now that Avery was alive in front of him. "Torn asked us to help you."

"I don't need any help." She said, her tone biting. Suddenly she looked up, and Avery followed her line of sight. She switched her juice rod to her right hand and moved forward as the ambush of Spyder Gunners and Juice Goons. "But _you_ might. We've got company." Jak finally looked just as the first group of metal heads jumped down.

"Hey," Jak and Ashelin looked over at Avery as she ran passed. "Don't shoot me!" She brought her juice rod up, with more difficulty than she would have liked due to a recent injury on her shoulder. The forked end trading sparks connected with a Spyder Gunner, shooting electric power through the metal head. With a smirk, she jumped to another creature, swinging the rod up and this time piercing the skin of an approaching Juice Goon, narrowly avoiding a thorough shock herself.

Jak had switched to his scattergun, allowing for close range and multiple hits. The initial attack was short lived before a second wave appeared, consisting almost entirely of Spyder Gunners. Avery backed away, putting her juice rod away and grabbing her gun.

"Avery!" Avery nearly froze at the sound of her name being shouted by Jak, and Ashelin turned around, eyebrows furrowed in confusion at hearing the name. Had she the time, she would have cursed Jak out both mentally and vocally while shooting the approaching metal head that almost took Ashelin by surprise; but alas, she was preoccupied with the wound now on her stomach from a well aimed shot.

With a grimace she fell to one knee, her gun landing on the ground beside her as both hands automatically wrapped around her stomach. She caved in on herself, the pain burning through her, resonating in her core and reaching the very tips of her fingers and toes. Rather than a stabbing pain, she noticed it was more of a throbbing, sickeningly so, causing her to groan as a wave of nausea passed through her. She felt warm, sticky liquid coating her hands and brought them away, only for a moment, to observe the blood coating her skin. Some was a deep purple, which she acknowledged to be from the metal heads she had killed at close range. Most, however, was a deep, endless red, flowing freely from her wound. She swallowed, forcing down the urge to be sick. She looked up, just now noticing that Jak stood in front of her with his scatter gun, Daxter beside her. He seemed to be struggling to figure out her gun, to hold it comfortably in his tiny paws. Any other time it would have been funny.

Her senses faded in and out, mostly her hearing, and she could only hear a faint banging in the distance from the gun not more than a foot away from her. Entirely unsure if it was from adrenaline or from her body shutting down, Avery allowed herself to fall to the side, lowering herself gently and hissing in pain. Her entire being had been shaken, taken down with that simple shot. At this point she reflected on her pain tolerance, and how a simple shot of dark eco infused ammo could take her down so easily, so completely that she lay useless on the ground behind her comrades who needed her. She tightly shut her eyes, feeling her form trembling as another wave of pain washed through her. She didn't notice the fact that her hearing had completely been lost, nor did she notice the heat and electricity in the air fade. What she did notice was that the pain faded, ever so slightly, enough for her to open her eyes and observe the darkness around her. She looked around in confusion, the familiar dream-like feeling creeping up on her.

"Jak?" The first initial call was barely loud enough for her to hear herself. Her voice was raspy and nearly gone. Quickly clearing her throat, she called again, receiving nothing but silence as a response. She pushed herself up a bit more, now surprised to find the pain almost completely gone. "It's like my dreams…" She muttered, noting how she felt more peaceful in this particular dream. She could sense there was no danger around her, no strange dark creature ready to pounce on her from the darkness. As in previous dreams, she started walking through the darkness, searching for anything or anyone. She never liked the endless blackness that surrounded her, feeling like it was closing in on her and weighing her down, pulling her to through an endless drop.

As always she met the wall of water, her side reflected back at her. She furrowed her brows, approaching it. She couldn't remember ever being entirely blocked from seeing the other side, and now she was able to see only her reflection. She took a moment to observe the fact that her body was completely clean of any fresh wound from that day, and she brought a hand up to her stomach as she looked down, as if the reflection was wrong. After observing her miraculously unharmed form, she moved forward, following the routine of placing her hand on the wall. It rippled outward, the reflection fading and turning into some kind of scene. The light was far too bright, making it fairly hard to see. The bloody, mangled bodies of metal heads littered the ground, one of which had just fallen. Claws were pulled out of its abdomen, and Avery now realized that she was looking through someone else's eyes….a creature's eyes.

The creature turned quickly, as if startled, and Avery's heart jumped at the sight of Jak a moment before he tackled her. A sharp shot of pain rang through her abdomen, and she fell to her knees in surprise, losing physical contact with the wall. The image faded at the same speed as her eyesight until she could see nothing. She blinked hard as a new scene floated into her blurred vision, showing a rapidly darkening sky. The scent of blood and sweat and rain came over her and an electric tension surrounded her, her skin burning and itching with some unfamiliar sensation. She could feel a coating of sticky, cold liquid over her; the blood of the metal heads and her wounds. She focused her eyes on the pair in front of her; familiar cerulean, feeling his weight on top of her as he pinned her. His lips moved and she furrowed her brows, shaking her head slightly to shake the hazy feeling away.

"What?" Her voice was back to being raspy, although now it scratched at her throat and brought on a strong urge to cough.

"Are you ok?" His voice came back with a rush of sound that she didn't even know was missing. Rain hitting the ground, heavy breathing, distant roars of thunder and the dull hum of a Hellcat starting up. The new sounds hit strong and loud, his voice booming in her head, a headache running from the back of her skull to the front in a sharp bolt up the middle. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"No." Jak pushed himself off of her, releasing her wrists and legs from being pinned. She attempted to curl up, but was interrupted by Jak's arms slipping under her legs and mid back as he picked her up, holding her tightly against his chest. She groaned as her stomach muscles contracted for a moment as she adjusted herself, lifting her weight off of her injured shoulder against him and letting her head fall onto his chest, tucking herself under his chin as his body heat washed over her.

"Hey!" Jak turned, looking over at Ashelin as she stood on her Hellcat, getting ready to take off. "Tell Torn, Baron Praxis is planning something big. I think it has to do with that symbol." She gestured towards the pedestal and Jak looked over, observing it for less than a second.

"What is it?" His voice barely could be heard over the roar of the engine, and Avery cringed at the yell being so close to her ear.

"It's the Seal of the House of mar. The founder of Haven City. We're being sent out on 'suicide missions' to locate artifacts from the time of his rule. If curiosity's worth dying for, you can ask the blind old soothsayer in the bazaar named Onin. She might know something about all this. Here's my bazaar access security pass." She threw the card, and Daxter scurried up to Jak's shoulder just in time to catch it. They both looked over it.

"You're name's Ashelin, huh?"

"We're even now." The roar grew in volume as she pulled up and off back towards the city.

"Wow! What a woman!" Daxter followed the exclamation with a growl, but Jak ignored him.

"We need to get back to the Underground. Avery?" Emerald orbs moved up to stare at him, and Jak frowned at the total expression of pain in them.

"I'll be fine." She said, repositioning herself with a grimace. "Let's just get back."

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Okay, part 2 coming right up. Please review! Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

Here's part 2! I hope you like it. This chapter has a lot of...inner...character stuff going on. Let me know how you feel about it! I tried not to make Jak's repetitive... I hope I succeeded!

Enjoy!

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"I told you to be careful!" Avery groaned as Torn started up the argument again. "Every time, and _you_ wanted to go out on your own!" He tied the bandage around at her left side before moving up from her stomach to her shoulder. "You're damn lucky nothing important got hit!" Avery sighed, leaning her left, uninjured shoulder against Jak behind her.

Jak had stolen a two-seater zoomer and driven her directly to Torn, who waited agitatedly outside of the Underground. Now she was seated on the cleared off table, Jak behind her with his hands on her shoulder and hip and pressed against her to keep her sitting up as comfortably as possible. Torn had set out all of the medical supplies once he had received the call: Gauze, bandages, stitching material and needle, and a large store of green eco. The salve had immediately taken away the pain she felt, turning it into a dull ache. The largest part of the wound had closed and now bled minimally, healing quickly with the bandage tight against it and green eco on its surface. Two arguments, fairly one-sided, had broken out between the two of them, and now a third began.

"What the hell happened?" He smoothed some green eco over her wound, the salve cold and sticky, and Avery shivered slightly before sighing deeply.

"There were too many of them. I told you already. I got cocky and overwhelmed."

"I think there's a pattern." Torn muttered, glaring as he wrapped her shoulder. She returned the glare immediately, reaching out with her free hand to slap his shoulder. "We can't afford your mistakes anymore. The metal heads are getting stronger and you're far too easy to overwhelm on your own. The Barron wants you back in his labs and the KG would take you down in a seco-"

"Like I didn't know all of this already!" She snapped, pushing away from Jak, able to hold herself up now that her stomach didn't protest with fiery shots of pain. She did whimper almost immediately from the dull pain that grew in intensity at the movement, and she felt Jak's hands tighten around her hip and shoulder as he gently drew her back. She huffed, feeling pathetic and useless. She wanted to push Torn away from caring for her, to show him that she _wasn't_ a screw up. She wanted to prove to Jak that she didn't need his protection, as it so seemed since he came into the picture. She sighed as he tied the wrap around her shoulder, stepping back to lock eyes with her. "I'm not _trying_ to screw up. Two years of being able, I couldn't help but get a little cocky-"

"Well you better learn to stop, because now you'll be endangering Jak. You two are official partners from now on." Jak felt Avery turn rigid against him, and he looked down to observe her hands balling into tight, strained fists. "You'll be watching each other and protecting each other-"

"No, he'll be watching and protecting me, right? Great! He shows up, and all of a sudden I'm a lost little girl who needs help again. Perfect." She pushed off the table, suppressing the urge to yelp as a shot of pain ran through her once again. She grabbed her bloody shirt from the floor, the dried, crusted blood feeling coarse against her skin as she pulled it on.

"Kit, don't." He said calmly, but she ignored him, grabbing her gun off of her bunk as she passed. Torn sighed, bringing one hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as the door slid shut.

"Hey uh…maybe we should go after her?" Daxter suggested, jumping up onto the table.

"No. She may be playing with this whole 'new identity' idea but she's still Avery. Following her right now would make things worse." Jak said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall.

"What's so bad about workin' with us, anyway? We've got the _moves!_ She used to always hang with us when things got sketchy!"

"She's changed…."

"Kit changed as necessary. When she first arrived she couldn't hold her own, wouldn't even try." Torn had just finished moving the medical supplies and was now bringing the map back to the table, spreading it out on the flat surface. "She never worked well with others, so she preferred to go on her own. She could handle it."

"She's a completely different person." Jak shot back, glaring. "She's not meant to be a fighter, and definitely not on her own. She told me you 'pushed her in the right direction,' but it's thanks to you that she lost who she is!"

"It's because of me that she's still alive, so shut your mouth!" Daxter looked between Torn and Jak, observing equally murderous glares passing between the two.

"So uh…how bout a drink?" Torn sent a glare his way before standing straight, his glare slowly turning into a slightly perplexed expression.

"She was never this…angry." He said, more to himself than to Jak. "In fact…she's usually far more positive than she has been….Ever since you brought her back…." Realization dawned on his features before a glare took over once more. "The program! It's affecting her." He began pacing; searching his thoughts frantically for any information he had from his time in the KG. "The results are still unknown…but how else would dark eco affect someone?"

"Program?" Torn looked over at Jak and for the first time, Jak saw a raw sort of anger in them. It wasn't controlled or wild, no, just _there_. It burned intensely in his gaze, and Jak begun to understand just how deep his care for Avery went….Possibly deeper than he'd ever know.

"The dark warrior program. What you were in."

"Hey! That's explains why she-"

"Has been acting so strange." Jak cut off Daxter's exclamation, glaring at the Ottsel in warning. "If she's not back by morning I'll find her."

"You better. We can't lose her." Torn turned, leaving the two boys in silence in the underground, the door shutting quietly behind him.

"Hey! Shouldn't we tell him about-"

"Avery changing? No. That's her decision." He looked down, catching sight of his bloody hands and clothes. With a scowl he straightened, beginning to remove his affects. "We should get some rest. We'll be checking out the bazaar in the morning." He heard Daxter groan from behind him, causing him to smirk as he pulled his shirt off and headed towards the small bathroom.

"Like I need protection…" Avery mumbled angrily, pulling off her boots and dropping them on the ground next to her. She lifted her shirt up and pulled it over her head, shivering slightly at the cool night air. "Everyone gets a little cocky!" She said, as if speaking to someone just on the other side of the lake. She leaned down and moved her shirt back and forth in the water, rubbing the fabric together as the crusted blood was washed away; clouds of liquid red rising and dissipating into the rest of the lake. Avery thought back to where she had gone wrong at the Pumping Station.

She had run passed the collection of metal heads early on in the mission, climbing the pumps and making her way to the last known location. She had noticed there were a few new types roaming around, and she had only just figured out that they were stronger when she had been ambushed. Five had shown up before her, and she had chosen to use her Juice Rod, being able to deal far more accurate damage in close range than with a gun from afar. What she had not counted on was for the metal heads from behind her to have been intelligent enough to follow her up. Five metal heads now turned into ten, and it did not take long for her to receive a nice shock and a claw in her shoulder.

The wound in her shoulder had slowed her down and was, admittedly, distracting for the rest of the mission. She took her time to kill any metal heads she came across from that point forward until she reached the side with Jak and Ashelin. Avery had been confident that with backup she could take on the large amount of creatures, and she hadn't been wrong; until the Spyder Gunners came. In the slower-than-usual transition between Juice Rod and gun, she had left her torso open for attack, and the metal head of higher intelligence than usual had taken the opening.

Avery looked down at her stomach and the rapidly forming scar, the skin red and swollen over the shot location. The wound in her shoulder had turned into a jagged line, nearly three inches wide and reaching from the top of her shoulder and down to the curve of her breast, the tip reaching just barely to the line of her sports bra.

Avery removed her shirt from the water and laid it out on the large rock to the left of her boots, the small shirt taking up about half of the surface. She pushed herself into the cool water, sighing as dirt, sweat and blood began to wash from her body. She shimmied off her shorts, repeating the process she went through to clean her shirt until they, too, were thoroughly clean. She laid those on the bottom half of the rock. Finally, she took off and cleaned her bra before laying them over her shorts. With a large sigh she let herself sink into the lake, sitting on the shallow side with her back against the edge of the land, the water now reaching up to the middle of her neck. She allowed herself to soak for a few minutes with her eyes closed, breathing deeply and feeling the water moving around her.

Avery normally liked to be left alone, particularly on long missions. Partners normally slowed her down and distracted her, much like when Jak had chosen not to follow her example at the Strip Mine. She had constantly looked back at him, making sure she didn't get too far away. She was glad he could handle himself, even after two years of inactivity. The last partner she had was a new member of the Underground, someone Torn wanted to test.

He had proven to be weak and she had proven to be an unsatisfactory guard. Regardless, Torn finally allowed her to go on her own for nearly all of her missions. Occasionally Tess would join her, or she would join Sig on one of his. The thought of having a full-time partner, Jak or not, left her feeling like a caged animal.

Avery slid underneath the water, running her fingers through her hair and scratching at her scalp until she felt clean. Resurfacing, she removed herself from the water and looked up at night sky, the moon high.

"Nothing wrong with a nap…" She muttered, ambling over to the larger boulder and laying down on it, shivering at the cool surface. She was fairly used to hard surfaces such as this, having fallen asleep on top of this very rock many times as she waited for her clothes and body to dry. Now, she perched herself on top, squirming to get comfortable as she laid down and stared up at the sky. For the first time she noticed that there was no breeze, as well as the fact that the insects and night birds were creating an amazing symphony for her and her alone. For a moment, she wondered if anyone was worried about where she went, but quickly pushed that thought away. She would return in the morning; rested, clean, and ready to fight for her right to work alone.

"Onin welcomes you, blah, blah, blahblahblah…the usual boring salutations. She says it is good to see you again, Jak." Jak and Daxter both looked at the old woman with wide, confused eyes before Daxter turned to Jak.

"But we've never met before." Pecker rolled his eyes, as if he was expecting Jak to understand.

"Before, after…it is all the same." Jak raised an eyebrow, about to say that it really _isn't_ the same, when Daxter chose to cut everybody off.

"Oh! Oh! Let me try! Aaah, she wants a…she wants a yakow bone! A yakow bladder! No…no…I got it!" Jak shook his head, sighing through his smirk. "For many moons, she has….waited for…a juice pop? A jewel shop? Oh, oh, I know, she's got a hairball! A hair lip? A hairy chest?" Jak and Pecker exchanged a glance before turning their annoyed stares to Daxter.

"Close, but no! Onin says you seek answers…" He gave off a squawk, obviously unable to control such little outbursts. "About the Tomb of Mar." Jak looked from pecker to Onin just as she created the Seal of Mar with the blue smoke rising from the fire in front of her.

Jak and Daxter had decided that they would visit Onin before heading out to find Avery. She had been missing all night, her comm. Unit unanswered. With little sleep, the two boys headed out early in the morning, finding Onin's tent easily. Colored smoke poured from the entrance, and both boys coughed intensely upon first entering.

The tent was full of colorful fabrics, candles and powders, and the air was heavy and scented with herbs, smoke and other indescribable things. Candles around the room were lit, showing them an incredibly old woman and her translating bird.

Onin looked as if she were ready to turn into dust, the outlines of her bones clearly visible under her skin and her clothes hanging off of her body. Her hair, barely visible under her scarf, was an ash gray and laid fairly flat and lifeless. She revealed that she had no teeth when she smiled, her lips falling inward. It was also obvious that she was fully blind.

The bird, Pecker, revealed himself to be a Spanish Moncaw, his feathers alternating colors of yellow, red, and blue. He had an attitude and didn't seem to like their presence in the tent. Jak couldn't really care less.

"So what do we need to know?" Pecker looked over at Onin for a moment before continuing on in a hurried manner.

"She's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, stupid 'oooooo' crap. Forget all that! I'm gonna sum this up quickly, because now you're cutting into _my_ siesta time!" Pecker turned back to Onin, missing the gesture Daxter made and Jak's agreement. "Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the Precursor Mountain Temple. Not two!" Onin held up two fingers and shook her head, frowning. "Not four!" Once again, she gestured. "Three!" Finally, she held up three fingers and smiled her toothless smile while nodding. "Use the warp gate at the northwest side of the city, and bring back the three items you find!"

"Right." Jak turned, about to leave the tent when Pecker suddenly called out.

"Wait!" The blonde turned and raised an eyebrow in question as Onin began signing again. "Onin mentions a girl whom with you travel." Jak turned fully now, his attention captured completely.

"Avery?"

"Do not interrupt! Onin says she is very important for the future, and will be tested very soon. Protect her and keep her close, for she will be the key!"

"The key? What do you me-"

"No questions! Go retrieve the artifacts and return, quickly!"Jak's curiosity quickly turned into annoyance as he glared at the bird before turning and leaving.

"Well, that certainly was…enlightening." Daxter said sarcastically, making small hand gestures as Jak walked quickly to the bazaar exit. "To the forest!" Daxter seemed relatively unfazed by the information they had just received, and Jak couldn't help but envy Daxter's carefree attitude. No matter what hit him, he never seemed to feel genuine negative emotions, and any episodes that slipped would last mere seconds before he was back to his normal attitude.

The trip to the forest from the bazaar was quick, literally right around the corner, and Jak left his zoomer to the right of the door on the ramp before going through the mechanical metal door. Once shut behind them, the other door began unlocking, the center cog turning with heavy clicking sounds that resonated loudly in the rectangular room. The sound of metal scraping against metal sounded as the halves slid open to show the ledge and the warp gate. Jak took a running start before jumping through the gate, landing smoothly on the upper ledge. The two remained silent as Jak made his way over to the precursor platform, left with only a moment to balance himself before it began its path to the forest.

Jak glanced through an archway leading to the Temple, doing a quick count of the metal heads on the way. Four were in the first entrance, but they were all Grunts and therefore hardly a threat.

"I wonder if there are any stronger metal heads down there…" Daxter's voice was in its usual, anxious high-pitched whine as he, too, noticed the metal heads. Jak suddenly felt his own anxiety rise. Avery had taken two heavy hits only hours before. Would she be able to keep up with the metal heads? He briefly considered going to the Temple without her, but he knew she's be upset with him.

_"I never took that route before. I've always wanted to, but Torn asked me not to. It was one of those times when he was sincerely and thoroughly concerned. Said I'd have to wait for the day I had an equally capable partner. Maybe you and I could go check it out on our next day off!"_ She had sounded so excited at the thought of finally being able to explore that area, and Jak had wanted to be the one to go with her, if only to protect her. Now it would be harder.

The platform finally came to a stop at the forest edge, where he quickly jumped down and narrowed his eyes over the area, searching for any sign of Avery.

"There she is!" Daxter leaned forward, pointing out one arm in the direction of his excited stare. Jak quickly followed his gaze to the side of the river, where her form laid on top of a rock. Only, Jak's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped slightly. "…Is she….naked?" Both boys stared with wide eyes, traveling over her body. From the distance, no details could be seen, but the pale, creamy skin stood out clear against the dark gray stone. She was laying on her back, left arm folded under her head and right arm resting across her stomach. Her hair was splayed around her, soft and slightly frizzy from air drying in the light breeze. They could barely see the rising and falling of her breasts and stomach a she took deep, slow breaths, entirely and blissfully unaware of the two of them observing her. Jak let his eyes wander down to her legs, right crossed over her left. They were long and well shaped, the lean muscles entirely relaxed. Jak swallowed hard, moving his eyes away and shaking his head.

"How are we going to wake her up?" Daxter did not see fit to turn his gaze away from her as he responded to Jak.

"Just go over there and wake her up." He raised an eyebrow at his best friend, uncaring that he couldn't see.

"Right. I'm going to walk over there, look at her straight in the face as she wakes up, and pretend I wasn't looking…which means she'll shoot me. Daxter, she'll know we were looking." Daxter rolled his eyes, jumping off of Jak's shoulder.

"Fine, then I'll stay over here. See you when you get back! If you…do…get back…" Jak shot a glare at Daxter before sighing and jumping down the rocks. He stepped a little heavier than usual, hoping that the sounds of leaves and grass crunching along with the snapping of twigs as he passed would wake her up. Unfortunately, it did not. Eventually and far too soon for his comfort, he found himself drawing near to her, close enough to call her name and _surely_ wake her….yet he didn't.

At first, his eyes stayed glued to her face, observing her features. The difference between Avery now and two years ago fascinated him. Once again he noted her sharper features, more mature and shaped. Her ears were still shorter than normal and her skin still paler than his, but he certainly had no problem understanding why he had not recognized her at first. Even her hair had changed in color. Not to mention her physical appearance.

Jak couldn't control himself any longer, his eyes moving over her body. He was both saddened and angered by the amount of scars covering her skin. Back in Sandover, she had only several small scars on her arms and legs from climbing rocks, falling into bushes and being careless with her knife. Now, she was covered in scars. Some were thick and wide, others narrow and shallow. She had several burns as well in various places, and only now did he begin to understand just how deep in this war she was. Avery was devoted to saving the city and her friends in the Underground. She had been devoted to finding him...

Jak suddenly felt slightly sick. He wondered about Sandover, and returning. If the war was still occurring, would Avery come to? If not…would he leave without her? She had been such a close friend for years, and despite the fact that two years in prison had changed him, he knew that without Avery, continuing a life at Sandover would be unbearable and near impossible. Keira was never much into adventuring, and when things got rough, she was one to put her foot down. All in all, she wasn't very good at the whole 'living life on the edge' thing…Or as close to the edge as one could get at Sandover.

His shifted quickly back onto subject, pushing away the rapidly forming thoughts about Keira as he focused on the woman in front of him. She was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the presence so close to her. The sunlight was barely hitting her face due to the trees, shining through leaves and spotting her features. She looked beautiful. He was instantly brought back to a time when they had visited Sentinel Beach. They had gone all the way across to the ruins, climbed up on one of the Sentinels and watched the sun set, something she had dearly loved doing. It had been a quiet day with her, one of the days he knew she was deeply saddened by something. He wasn't concerned with finding out what, but felt happy that he had been who she had gone to. She had approached the stone rail quickly and laid her hands on it, observing the material before looking out over the water. Jak had given her a moment before coming up beside her, pushing himself up to sit on the rail. For a moment, he had simply stared at her. The way the setting sun hit her had given the illusion of luminescent skin, golden hair and yellow-green eyes. She had looked fascinating…and perhaps angelic. He had been brought back to earth when she looked at him with her sad eyes, forcing a smile before nodding out to the water, which reflected the pinks, oranges and golds of the sunset. That memory, he would _never_ forget. Jak quickly shook his head, letting the image pass as he observed the area. Her clothes lay beside her on a separate rock, wrinkled from air drying, but successfully cleaned. He was sure she spent a fair amount of time on _that_ particular task.

Finding an out, he grabbed her clothes and smirked at his own brilliance, throwing simultaneously her shirt over her breasts and the rest of her clothing across her thighs, landing just where he intended. Of course, Avery jumped at the contact, her eyes flying open and a gasp escaping her. She sat up, the shirt falling to join the rest of the clothing on her lap as she looked around frantically. Her eyes locked on Jak, and a stunned silence followed for several long seconds, complete with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. Finally, just when he was starting to worry about her, she let out all her surprise, anger, and embarrassment in one shrill yell.

"**_Jak!_**" He couldn't help but smirk, watching in amusement as she snatched up her shirt and covered her chest. "What the hell! How long have you been here!? Turn around!" He did so, snickering at her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So…do you do this often? Because I wouldn't mind giving you a wake up call each time."

"Shut up!" Her voice was now lacking in anger, instead sounding small with embarrassment. "How long were you here?" Jak frowned, the shaking in her voice disturbing him. The rustling of clothes could be heard softly as she quickly dressed. "And where the hell is Daxter?"

"Relax. Daxter stayed at the entrance. We've only been here for a few minutes. We're going to the Temple." The sounds behind him stopped, and for a moment he thought he had said something wrong. However, a hand came to rest on his shoulder and he turned towards her as she walked by, smiling up at him.

"You came to get me for it?" He nodded, watching her gentle expression, still tinged with a deep pink blush. He couldn't help but be wary around her when she so obviously chose to be Avery. He didn't want such moments to be short lived. He was infinitely surprised when she hugged him, gently and slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. He was so surprised that he froze, unable to process the feeling of her pressed against him.

She always used to hug him like this, arms around his neck and face buried into his shoulder. It was nice to feel her familiar body heat, and sometimes he used to feel her eyelashes brushing his skin during some of their longer embraces. This one, however, was short. So short that Jak wasn't even sure if it had happened.

"Thank you, Jak." She pulled back with a smile, eyes locking on his, and he was brought from his reverie. The will to return the smile was there, but Jak could not. Whether it was because his muscles had simply forgotten how, or because he was too lost in familiar warmth and support, he didn't know. Either way, Avery didn't seem to notice or care, and instead turned away and began walking towards the entrance. After only a moment, Jak followed, smirking after her.

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Please let me know how you felt about this chapter, love or hate! It was a bit...difficult to try and insert memories and feelings to them, so let me know if you liked it!

SYANU! :D

P.s. as always, if you find something that isn't consistent with previous chapters, please let me know via review or pm. Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

**HOLY COW 10 CHAPTERS...**yay! :)

Wow. I feel like I have not been on fanfiction in forever. Sorry guys! College and work started back up, so it's been entirely too difficult to find time to write. Also, for those of you who don't know, I'm a music major, so most of my free time is spent practicing. Anywho, here is the next chapter, and I found it a bit...difficult to write this one. Next one should be better, and a few things from this one will be explained in the next.

I'm trying really hard to keep up, so sorry if it takes a while!

I own nothing but Avery!

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"What the_ hell_ is that thing?" Jak already had his blaster out, aiming at the roaring metal head as Daxter yelled on his shoulder. "It's _huge!_"

"It's a Ram Head!" Avery, who stood behind and to the right of Jak, yelled over the sound of the roar. "I can't tell you much about it!" Jak pulled the trigger, landing a shot on the creatures chest and sending it towards the ground in a rage.

The metal head was far larger than any they had seen before. It's skin was a mix of dark blue and purple, its armor a fading green. It stood a bit taller than Jak when on all fours, but was massive in width and length. It's legs were powerful, making it easy to charge them quickly. At first, Jak had grabbed Avery's arm and tugged her along after him as they dodged, but she quickly ripped her arm out of his grasp the third time around and flew an opposite way than him.

"Av!"

"Just trust me!" Though reluctant to let her go, he had no time to be bothered by it as he was nearly hit by the Ram Head. It reared up again to roar at him, and Avery had shot him four times before he had even lifted his gun. The creature fell again, and the earth seemed to shake under the force of his drop. Jak took several shots, but each one bounced off its skin. He realized than that the belly was the only vulnerable part of the metal head. With a groan of frustration he jumped out of the way again, the beast skidding to a stop behind him and continuing his pursuit, only now going after Avery. She ran several feet in the opposite direction, the creature only inches behind her before she dived to the right, causing it to collide with the rock wall. They had been forced to climb into a small, lowered clearing. Before they could climb up the opposite side, the Ram Head had appeared. The Ram Head stepped back from the wall and shook its head before charging back after Jak. Upon missing again, he reared up once more, and both Jak and Avery bombarded the creature with bullets until it fell again. It was now slower and less accurate, and they were ready to finish it. Unfortunately, after dodging three more times, the creature did not stand up again, and Avery was losing patience. She raised her gun as it missed Jak, who was on the opposite end of the clearing. Shooting the creature, she brought its attention back on her, and it charged. Unlike other times, she did not move.

"Avery! Move!" She ignored Jak's call, watching as it drew closer and closer until it was barely three feet away. He called again as she fell backwards, holding her breath and bringing her gun up. As it passed over her she pulled the trigger violently, sending bullet after bullet into the creature's soft belly until she could see nothing but blue sky above her. The creature let out a final, pained roar before collapsing; loose dirt kicked up from the force of its weight collapsing. She let out her breath, pushing herself up and holstering her gun. She looked up at a fuming Jak and a speechless Daxter, giving them a sly smile.

"What…so impressed that you can't speak?"

"That was the _dumbest_ thing you could have _ever_ done." He said, crossing his arms over his chest with a glare. Avery frowned, shrugging.

"It worked, didn't it? Don't talk to me about stupid choices." She shot back, mirroring his stand and crossing her arms with a bit more attitude. The two glared at each other for a few silent seconds, Jak daring her to make another sarcastic remark and Avery daring him to question her abilities. Finally, the silence was broken.

"I know you two are having a little….disagreement…but could we please save this for another time? Ya know…when we aren't in the middle of a forest _full_ of _metal heads!"_ The calm in his tone was gone by the end of his sentence, having turned into a full out yell. Jak sighed in annoyance, quietly admitting defeat over this situation. Avery smirked in response, taunting him as she turned and sauntered away.

"Come on Jak," She called mockingly. "Wouldn't want to waste time, hm?" She heard a low growl behind her, making it difficult _not_ to laugh at Jak. She knew, though, that if she were to laugh at him, it would only push him further, and she was in _no mood_ to deal with a pissy guy. She approached the other cliff side and began climbing, Jak close behind her and now silent. Upon reaching the top, she stopped and smiled, observing the waterfall. "It's so pretty."

"Yeah, real beautiful. Can we hurry up, please?" She turned and glared at Daxter in the moment that it took for the two boys to pass her. Jak, still silent, observed the water before jumping to a large rock in the center, steadying himself before jumping to the opposite side. Avery huffed, rolling her eyes. Since when did_ Jak_ have a cycle? She followed his example, jumping over to the rock and then over to the opposite bank, having to jog to catch up with his quick steps. On the other side, of course, was a metal head. It held a purple shield up, protecting the blue skin that was not covered with armor. Jak already had his gun out, aimed at the Stalker. Of course, when he shot, the shield absorbed it.

It had not been the first time they had seen these. In the entrance to this area they had come across two others, and had learned quickly that they were hard to land shots on. The strategy they preferred was to cause the creature to keep its shield up while Avery moved in, using her juice rod to electrocute the metal head. So, Avery took out her weapon and snuck close to the creature, staying out of the line of fire. In a second the shots were halted, the creature brought down its shield to fire, and Avery stuck the end of her juice rod into its skin, the blue eco going to work. She stood up, drawing her weapon back and sheathing it as she looked forward, Jak coming up next to her while inspecting his gun.

Ahead of them was a long bridge of land leading up to more rocks to climb and probably more ruined precursor structures as well. She smiled as she realized that they must be getting close to a section of the temple. As Jak fiddled with his gun, probably attempting to load a new clip, she took several steps forward, looking around her as she began across the bridge.

Suddenly, the earth shook beneath her and the bridge before her began to break apart. Sucking in a large breath she turned and jumped onto the rocks she had just left, landing painfully on her stomach as she _just _made it. The sounds of earth falling apart was soon gone, falling into an endless nothingness that this section of the world had become. At first, she looked up into the shocked eyes of Jak and Daxter, Jak having frozen entirely and Daxter's jaw hanging limp. She then looked behind her at the vast emptiness that was once the crossing. Three precursor platforms floated along; ones they would have to jump to, no doubt. She pushed herself off of the ground, brushing off the front of her clothes as she silently cursed out the precursors. Of course their creations would cause the earth to crumble beneath _her_ feet and make her look even _more_ incapable. Yes, of course.

"You need to be more careful." It could have been a helpful suggestion or an expression of concern over her health, but the tone he used made it sound like an order, and heat spread through her body in both embarrassment and misplaced frustration. She turned away from him, glaring at the ground as her hands balled into fists. She bit her lip to keep from commenting back and instead occupied herself with sizing up the jump, estimating just how much of a running start she would need. With one step back, she took her running start and leapt over the black emptiness beneath her, landing on the platform unsteadily. Without looking back, she sized up the next jump and took it, once again hitting her target of the next platform. A loud thump from behind her caught her attention, and she looked back to see Jak on the first platform.

The two ended up encountering several more rock walls to climb and more precursor platforms to jump to. Avery thanked the precursors that Jak and Daxter had convinced her to do so much climbing and jumping back at Sandover. Wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath and looked at the sight before her.

A precursor building of some type stood tall and proud, the bronze material shining brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight. She marveled, for a moment, at how such old creations still stood so strong and beautiful. In fact, by all laws of nature, the precursor platforms should not have been able to hold any weight.

Before she could think anymore on it, Jak had begun walking toward the building, motioning for her to follow. Suppressing a growl, she complied. _Like a dog…_ She thought, glaring at the back of his head.

Inside the building were symbols carved into the material and a large circular outlined center, a bright white light filtering downward. Jak and Daxter stepped up to it while Avery stood aside, her eyes passing over the symbols.

"That's some peeper, huh?" She looked back over to the boys, Daxter now in the center of the light. Jak was still looking around, a small frown on his face, as if he were expecting something to happen.

Were they looking for something?

"Something's cookin?" Avery raised an eyebrow as he sniffed. "Hmm…Kinda smells like…" His calm, intrigued voice completely disappeared as his tail caught fire in the intense light. "Burnt Ottsel?" He leapt up and screamed, running around the room. Avery barely held in her laughter as he jumped off walls and fanned his tail.

"Avery!" Her head snapped in Jak's direction, and he motioned down at the floor. "These symbols…" She took several steps closer until she, too, stood on the raised circular platform.

"Hmm…nothing I have ever seen…" She was about to bend down to get a closer look when a sudden movement made her freeze. The pedestal on which they stood began spinning slowly, the light fading until above them floated a shard of some type. Avery and Jak watched as it slowly descended until it reached Jak's outstretched hands. Neither of them noticed Daxter landing on the ground between them, fire extinguished, as they observed the shard. Avery took a few steps closer, examining the beautiful surface.

It seemed crystalline in both texture and cut, and was both clear and colorful. The light from outside caused an explosion of rainbow colors wherever it hit, accenting the smooth sheen of the surface and reflecting back the image of two very intrigued teens. Avery first saw Jak's pleased grin in the reflection before she shifted her eyes from the shard to his face.

"First artifact. Two more to go." He moved to put it in a pack that she had not noticed until now, dark brown and strapped just under his gun.

"You're looking for artifacts?" Jak barely glanced at her as he threw the pack back on and began moving away.

"It has something to do with the Tomb of Mar, I think."

"That crazy old bat in the bazaar told us to get three artifacts from this place." Daxter explained, jumping up on Jak's shoulder. Avery crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"And when were you going to tell me that objective?" Jak gave her a look.

"You just found out." She scoffed, rolling her eyes and pushing passed him.

"Ouch, wrong answer!" Jak rolled his eyes at Daxter's remark, heaving a sigh before following after his 'partner.'

* * *

"I bet that's the prize! They won't miss that one tiny gear!"

"Ah…Daxter?" Avery was staring intently at the large, moving precursor objects. After climbing up the largest Cliffside that day while dodging huge, painful falling rocks, she couldn't help but be a bit timid. With their luck, the entire structure relied on that one tiny piece, an insignificant dot in the puzzle. "I really don't think that's a good idea…" The ottsel continued forward, and she looked over with pleading eyes at Jak. He merely shrugged in response, pulling an eye-roll from Avery. "The whole damn thing might explode…" She muttered, looking back up at the machinery as Daxter reached his destination.

It truly was magnificent to watch. The bronze objects were different sizes and moved on different planes, floating in circular motions at different speeds as needed around one large central object. Her heart seemed to flutter as she reflected, for a moment, on how beautiful and simply awesome the precursor creations were. The creators…_her _creators…held such an amazing power as to create such sturdy and complicated objects that all worked with each other like a family, every part playing its role.

And then it stopped moving, slowly, as Daxter turned back around to face them, the gear held high in triumph. He began walking back, eyes closed in smug pride as he passed them.

"Like candy from a baby." Avery shook her head and looked over at Jak, who was smirking in amusement….until a horrifying sound came from the machinery. Jak's hands flew to his head in stressed shock, grabbing at his hair in a stressed manner. Avery turned, eyes wide as saucers, as she watched the magnificence fade away, like every other ancient piece of art she had ever known. "No one will ever know we were here!" The call brought her attention back to reality and she turned, about to yell at Jak at the same time he turned to yell at Daxter. However, a round plate that had been floating somewhere near the top rolled between both teens, Jak's eyes wide in surprise as he watched it go by. Avery sighed in defeat, feeling a slight twinge of sadness as it fell off the edge, plunging into dark nothingness. "Hey, are you two coming or what?"

"Shut up Dax" Jak stared at her for a moment, taking in her frustrated state and slightly beaten posture. She looked sad, disappointed….something he was not used to seeing. Sure, her eyes could always give away her emotions, but her posture was always strong. She made sure of that. Now, she just looked….ill.

"Avery?"

"What?" The response came out more annoyed than interested, but he continued regardless.

"Are you feeling alright?" She raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging.

"Of course I feel alright. Let's just go catch up with Daxter before he destroys any more precursor creations…" She mumbled, leaving Jak behind as she moved forward. Jak stared at her for a few moments as she walked away before glancing back at the pile of bronze objects.

She had been acting strange all day, Moody, reckless, and now she looked ill. Did something happen to her when she went to Haven forest? Jak ran a hand through his hair before he began following his two comrades. No, she must have just been having an off morning. Perhaps she was still upset with Torn…

It did not take long for the three to find the last artifact. It was in some sort of structure, on top of an alter in the center of the far wall. Daxter had run up to get it while Jak and Avery stood side by side at the bottom, though she seemed to ignore his existence. Shaking his head slightly, he moved his attention up to Daxter as the ottsel picked up the final artifact.

"Wow! This puppy's got some vibration to it!" His voice, as well as his body, was shaking with the intensity of the vibrating object. Daxter turned, grinning as he hugged the object to his chest. "This baby will put a smile on your face, eh, Av?" Jak heard Avery gasp softly at the reference before he looked over to see a bright pink blush begin to appear. In an attempt to hide his laughter, he covered his mouth with his hand and looked away, holding in chuckles that threatened to endanger his life.

"Daxter! Just shut up and give Jak the artifact!" Her hands flew up to her mouth in a futile attempt to retrieve the words she had just spoken.

"I guess Jak needs some help satisfying the lady, eh?" It was Jak's turn to glare at Daxter now, and he was readying a sarcastic remark when a wonderful sound reached his ears. He looked at Avery as she laughed, slightly stunned.

Avery always had a soft laugh. It was a sound he would strive to hear back in Sandover, particularly during difficult times. It always reminded him of the wind chimes hanging outside of the bird lady's house. Rocks, wooden tubes, and melted precursor metal hung from thin strands of rope from her roof, and created melodies and harmonies that before then were unknown to Jak. He had loved the objects from the start. It was an odd comparison, in his opinion. He did not understand why her laugh reminded him of wind chimes, but it certainly did, and he was glad to have finally heard her true laughter again. It was different; what she had been doing was sharper, forced, and more reflective of the personality she insisted on following. She only laughed for a short amount of time, more of a light chuckle than anything, but Jak felt a strange flutter in his chest from hearing it. She looked over at him, eyes bright and a teasing smile aimed right at him. He didn't even realize he had begun smiling back at her. She broke eye contact then, leaning down and retrieving the artifact from Daxter. The moment the item left his paws, however, the vibration stopped. Avery and Jak exchanged a glance before she frowned down at it.

"Did I break it?" Jak took it himself, looking over the object.

"I doubt it. I don't see any…buttons, or anything. Dax?" The ottsel had just seconds before jumped up on Jak's shoulder, leaning over to look down at it.

"Hey, don't look at me! Let's just bring the stuff to the ancient lady and her pet pigeon and she can tell us what's wrong with it."

"Sounds like a plan." Jak muttered, reaching back and dropping the item into his bag. "But, we have another stop to make before we go back to the bazaar." He said, looking back down the trail they had just used. It was the easiest by far to travel, and getting back to the entrance would take no time at all. Tired as he was, he couldn't help but be tempted to return to Haven Forest with Avery and follow her example.

"Well?" He shook his head slightly, rapidly, bringing himself back into reality as certain images re-entered his mind. Avery was staring intently at him, waiting for an explanation of some sort.

"Sorry….what?" She rolled her eyes, looking a bit exasperated.

"I said, what is it you need to do?" Jak and Daxter exchanged a glance.

"Let's just say….we're going to…pay the Baron a visit," he said quickly and almost tentatively. "but we need to pay Vin a visit first and ask for a favor." Avery nodded twice before rolling her eyes and walking passed the boys.

"Whatever. Have fun!"

"Hey, wait! You have to come with us!" Daxter didn't realize that by pointing out her new restrictions, she would be thrown into a bad mood yet again. However, they did notice the sudden rigidness in her stature as she turned and glared.

"I'm going back to the Underground. I can handle that." She genuinely looked offended as she glared at the two boys, and Jak searched for anything to get her to stay with them…peacefully.

"We know that, but I have a feeling that getting to the palace won't be easy." He glanced at Daxter for some reason unknown to her before continuing. "We could really use your help." Avery stayed silent for several minutes, looking over the two boys, before sighing.

"Fine."

* * *

There you are! Like I said, I'm not too happy with it, but I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'll make sure the next one is longer and more descriptive.

As always, if you find anything inconsistent with previous chapters, please let me know.

SYANU!


	11. Chapter 11

I know, I know. I take forever to update. I suck. This one was hard to write. College is killing me. I do hope you enjoy it, though.

* * *

"Vin, buddy!" Avery raised an eyebrow at Jak. He had explained the entire mission to her on the trip to the power station, and dragged her inside despite her protests.

Getting into the palace was a terrible idea. She knew that. She knew they would get caught, one way or another. She knew that it would cause hell for the Underground. Despite voicing these opinions, she was ignored. As usual.

Jak had tried to convince her to ask Vin. He had said Vin seemed attracted to her, and she had simply scoffed. Vin didn't have time for women, he was too into his science experiments. After a long argument, Jak finally gave in. Which led to the current position.

Avery had walked in first, followed by the boys, and Jak had immediately put on a fake, friendly smile with large arm gestures and an equally fake voice.

"We need a favor…" Avery rolled her eyes, looking over at Vin as he typed violently on the keyboard.

"I can't help you with your eco bill." He said plainly, causing Avery to snicker. Jak stepped forward.

"We need you to switch on the access elevator in one of the Palace's support towers."

"We?" He turned around and looked over at Avery, who smiled. "Oh, Kit! What do you need that on for?"

"Ah…" Jak fumbled for an answer, and Avery simply shrugged.

"Delivery to someone in the KG, working with the Underground. It's the only way." She ignored Jak's momentary glance, full of appreciation while begging her to continue, and kept her eyes on Vin.

"Sheesh, that part of the old B-zone power grid? It hasn't worked for years." Avery smirked, stepping forward and leaning down slightly. Her hair fell over her one shoulder as she leaned close to Vin.

"Well, if it's too hard for you, I understand. All that power stuff sure can be tricky, huh?" Her tone was playful, and she wore a smile the entire time. Vin swallowed hard and gave a nervous laugh as he replied.

"Tricky? Ha!" He backed away and turned, jumping on a platform that, upon pressing a button, hovered around the room as he pressed buttons and connected wires. "I could route the B-zone conduit lines through the bypass grid, shunting past the eco rings to connect the inductor tubes…" Avery looked back at Jak with a triumphant smile, Jak returning it with a smirk. "…lines into the primary coils, and presto, you've got instant lift juice!" He finished, landing in front of Avery.

"Vin, you're a genius!" Jak said, exchanging a glance with Avery.

"Eh, actually Mar was the genius. People said he made most of this stuff long ago; the shield-wall system, the eco grid. Anyway, to get that elevator moving, you gotta find and turn on all the old B-zone power boxes located in the city. There are five of 'em!"

"That doesn't sound so tough!" Daxter chimed, grinning eagerly.

"No. Except those power boxes are guarded by motion-sensing turbo cannons!"

"Oh, great!" Avery groaned, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"But! If you can destroy the cannons and switch the boxes on, I can do the rest!"

"Great, we'll get right on that." Jak grabbed Avery's wrist before she could protest and dragged her out of the station.

"Be careful, Kit!" Avery rolled her eyes as the door shut behind her, her stare settling into a glare at the back of Jak's head.

"Hey! I thought I was supposed to tag along with you to _avoid_ getting killed! You're taking me to go blow up some turrets?" Jak shrugged nonchalantly as he let go of her wrist, giving her a playful smirk.

"You know where they all are, don't you? Besides, as long as you're with us, you'll be fine."

"Yeah, we won't let anything bad happen to ya! Just like old times, babe. " Daxter chimed in from his spot on Jak's left shoulder, but Avery paid him no mind.

"Yeah, sure I know where they are. But how do you plan on destroying these things without getting shot down?" She snapped sarcastically, hands on her hips and a look of defiance in her eyes. Jak held his smirk and responded with yet another shrug.

"I don't plan. I just do. Let's go." She noted, for a moment, the way he looked at her with amusement and a bit of a challenge in his eyes. Part of her pushed her forward, to join him in his dark sense of humor and enjoyment. To help quell the fires of his rage, to help him take down the men who hurt him over the past two years. She had missed being talked into adventures, and feeling that familiar thrill of uncertainty and trust.

But the other part of her knew her place in this war was with the underground. By going, she'd put herself in danger, and the Underground needed her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. _Torn needs me. He needs his top shot back. Not this pathetic girl. Avery is gone. _

"Avery?" Her eyes opened, a more stoic expression taking over her features and causing Jak's concerned expression to deepen.

"Jak, I'm going home. You can go take care of your personal vendetta, but I'm going to keep working with the Underground to try and actually solve the problems within this city." Her voice was calm, though passionate, and though Jak was surprised, he said nothing as she walked away. After watching her swing herself onto a nearby zoomer, Jak sighed.

"Maybe she really has changed." For a split second, Jak almost agreed with Daxter. But he knew Daxter was wrong. Avery was there…somewhere.

And he was going to fight for her.

* * *

"Well look who decided to show up."

"Torn, not now." Torn stood up from his bed, where he'd just sitting, hunched over as if deep in thought. As he stood up, she saw him slip something under his pillow, but she was not surprised. Many times throughout the last year, he had obviously been hiding something. She knew he was looking at something small; a book, photo…hell, maybe even a small map. Either way, she made it a point not to ask, and chose not to care as well. In this world, personal business was baggage, and the less a person had, the better. Instead, she walked passed him to her own bunk, skipping the step of removing her effects and landing on her bed with the pure force of gravity. The bed creaked loudly in protest to the sudden and forceful weight, the mattress springs digging into her stomach. She noted with mild disgust that her pillow was beginning to smell like sweat and dirt, and she promised herself that she would go wash the case someday soon when suddenly she felt the mattress adjust to the weight of someone sitting on the edge.

"Kit. We need to talk." With a groan, she picked herself up and sat back, now sitting Indian-style on the small bed. Torn seemed to be studying her movements, making more intense eye contact than normal. The hairs on the back of her neck raised and she fought the urge to shiver.

"Can you stop studying me? I'm not some lurker in a cage." He sighed, standing up and folding his arms over his chest.

"Have you been feeling…strange, lately?" She raised an eyebrow at his question.

"You mean, stranger than usual?" For a split second, an exasperated glare took over his features, before he sighed and returned back to a neutral state. Regardless, Avery grinned.

"Yes. This is serious." Avery rolled her eyes.

"I don't think-"

"Avery!" She immediately shut her mouth, her eyes wide and closely resembling those of a deer in headlights. He glared heatedly at her, his gaze piercing.

Torn only used her name once before. She had been with him on a mission that, at the time, she wasn't ready for. Back in the early days, when Torn was merely another runner for the underground, and she just a trainee. She was well prepared in weaponry, though Torn had forgotten to take something into account before bringing her on that particular mission.

She had never taken a life.

She fired the first few shots, and had frozen almost immediately as her first kill fell.

The guards helmet fell off upon impact with the ground and she saw the face of the man she had killed, staring lifelessly up at her as she attempted to run past him. Instead, her eyes locked on his, and her body froze. Reality had disappeared around her, all noise had ceased. He had called her new name several times, and was turning around to grab her arm, to drag her along, when the first shot hit her. She fell to her knees at the stinging pain in her abdomen, too overwhelmed by the rush of returning reality to push herself up and continue forward. Another shot was fired, hitting her in the upper chest on the right, causing her to cry out, before shots were heard close to her. Torn had wrapped his arm around her protectively and began pulling her up and back toward a nearby zoomer; the one they had been aiming for in the first place. The process took only a minute or so, but it felt like years.

When he had finally driven back to the underground, Avery was on the edge of unconsciousness. The panic in his voice as he called her real name was haunting, at the time, as well as the look in his eyes, which she could barely see in the first place. "_Avery!"_ It had felt like a weird dream at first. _"Don't even think about dying!"_ She wanted to laugh. In fact, in looking back on it, she had laughed. He had carried her in, staining his clothes with her blood, and set her on _his_ bed. _"Come on, stay awake…stay with me."_ She hadn't been able to stay awake. She had been unconscious for two days. When she awoke, she was healed, and Torn had acted like his normal self, as if the event had never happened in the first place. But she could see it in his eyes. He was glad she woke up.

Now he was using her name as her father always would when she attempted to go against his word. He gave her a glare that made her feel like a lost child again. Instead of feeling angry and defensive, as she normally would in such a situation, it had the opposite effect. A rush of what she could only describe as emptiness and exhaustion hit her like a million bricks to the face, and immediately her strong body posture deflated. She slouched, placing her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, rubbing her face and sighing. Torn stayed silent, waiting and watching, his glare turning from stern to concerned. Regardless, he gave her space, taking a step back before turning fully back towards his bed. He had his answer. She listened to him lay down on his bed before following the example, laying on her side and facing away from him.

It wasn't uncommon for Torn to sleep during the day. In fact, he preferred to never sleep. However, sometimes his mind would force him to shut down for a few hours, in which he would put down the maps and the plans and hesitantly become unaware of the city's state. Now seemed to be one of those times as it wasn't long before she heard his breathing deepen and slow down progressively. She sighed, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the wooden support above her.

Looking back on the days since her….rescue…she could understand why Torn was concerned. She had been sloppy, irritable, and an overall danger to the entirety of the underground operation. Avery sighed, sitting up and looking over at Torn.

With the entire operation at stake, would she be willing to let her sloppy performance destroy everything they've worked at? She pushed herself off of her bed, stepping quietly toward the entrance to the underground.

It was time to go find Sig.

* * *

"The city is on high alert. What the hell'd you two do?" Jak and Daxter entered to a very annoyed looking Torn, an old man named Kor, and the little boy he kept safe. It was obvious that they had previously been having a meeting of some sort, but about what Jak wasn't sure. Without a moment's hesitation, Daxter jumped in.

"Us? Nothing, we've been uhh…sightseeing! Right Jak?" Daxter aimed a cheesy, innocent smile at Torn, but the man didn't take it. He rolled his eyes in response before starting again.

"Really? Then why are the Krimzon Guard looking for…" He looked down at a piece of paper in front of him as he continued. "A dangerous young man with light hair, blue tunic, and a rabid orange _rat_ on his shoulder!"

"Ah…could be anyone. Orange is the new black this season!" Jak shook his head in annoyance before jumping in.

"Look, we climbed up to the Baron's palace, and…we tripped a few alarms." Torn's eyes widened for a moment in surprise before anger flared, particularly at Daxter's nonchalant "Oh, right…"

"What? I didn't authorize a strike on th-"

"Hey, we kicked the Baron's ass." He stated proudly, though his smirk dropped a second after. "Unfortunately, he escaped." Daxter leaned in towards Kor, acting as if he were about to tell Kor, and only Kor, a huge secret.

"_And_ we overheard a secret meeting with the leader of the Metal Heads!" That got everyone's attention, and the anger left Torn's eyes, replaced with curiosity and surprise instead as he and Kor traded a glance. The boy even looked surprised, bringing his tiny hands up to cover his mouth as his eyes went wide.

"You saw the Metal Head leader?" Kor's old, tired voice strained in showing his surprise at the situation as he looked between the boy and his ottsel.

"No. He was on some communicator, but we heard him talking with Baron Praxis."

"The Baron is bribing the Metal Heads with Eco!"

"Hmmph. It will never be enough." Jak raised an eyebrow at Kor, but Daxter continued.

"But the Baron's gonna double cross 'em!"

"Is that so? Well, our good Baron's wonderful _charm_ must have angered someone." Torn smirked in amusement at Kor's sarcasm. "There's word from the wasteland that Metal Head armies are on the move again!" Throwing the current conversation to the side, Jak turned a glare toward Torn. Not only had they heard talk of Metal Heads and eco, but Jak had found out some important information that left him suspicious.

"Why didn't you tell me Ashelin was Praxis's daughter?" Torn looked away, glaring down at the table for a moment. "What's your connection with her?" Suppressing a growl, Torn turned back towards the daring boy, immediately shutting down his question.

"That's none of your business!...Since you've stirred up the wumpbee's nest, you and whiskers here need to get four of our people to new safe houses. Shuttle each agent to a location _they_ specify. Move all of them _without_ any casualties. Don't screw this up, Jak!" Daxter jumped on Jak's shoulder halfway through Torn's instructions, and now he was the first to respond.

"Just us? Where's the lovely lady at?" At Daxter's question, Jak looked around, surprised to see her missing. She had said she would return to the underground…so where was she?

"Kit went out on her own." Jak turned startled, angry cerulean towards Torn, placing his hands on the table and leaning over, scowling.

"and you let her?" Entirely unfazed, Torn leaned back and folded his arms across his chest.

"She snuck out while I was sleeping. She disconnected her comm. Unit from our network, too."

"We have to find her!"

"No, she'll be fine. _You_ need to do your job and transport-"

"She'll get herself killed!" Torn growled, tossing a card at him. Jak barely caught it, surprised at the sudden motion. He turned it over and observed the frantically scribbled text on the card.

_Trust me._

"She left that on her bed."

"You expect me to just let her go?"

"That girl is perhaps as important to this war as this boy. Perhaps it's better you send these two after her." Torn sent a glance at Kor before sighing.

"I've known Avery long enough to trust her on her own." Jak raised an eyebrow, scowl still firmly in place.

"Yeah, that's why you forced her to work with us."

"Look kid. You have a mission to complete and I have a Baron to take down. _Don't_ be the reason this operation fails. Transport those agents and report back when you're finished."

* * *

"You okay, Sugar?" Avery absent mindedly stirred the drink Tess made her, staring into the dark liquid. Her head rested in her left hand, her elbows perched on the counter top. At the sound of Sig's voice, she straightened and looked over at him, her drink forgotten. He sat down next to her, laying his peacemaker on the counter. "You look like you just got in a fight with our resident smoker." Avery smirked, too tired to smile, as she took a sip of the now luke-warm liquid.

The alcohol burned her throat, causing her to close her eyes as it sent warm tingles through her body, nearly causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"Torn doesn't smoke." She said simply, setting the glass back down.

"So ya did get into it, huh? Been happening more often." He observed, taking the drink Tess offered him.

"They always get into it. True family, those two." Tess added, smirking and winking at Avery.

"Nothing too important. I'm just tired. I'm glad you decided to show up though. I was looking for you." Sig smirked, throwing an arm around her and pulling her in for a crushing side-hug.

"Awh, how sweet. Ya came to visit me." Rolling her eyes, she pushed herself away from Sig, playfully glaring.

"I came here for your help. Both of you." She turned her gaze back over to Tess, who leaned casually against the back counter.

"Anything for you, Sug. What's the deal?"

* * *

"Woo! I thought we'd never see the end of 'em!" Daxter walked calmly beside Jak as they reached the end of their path through Dead Town. Jak leaned against the crumbling wall, catching his breath and allowing himself to cool down. The mission they had just completed was among the most difficult so far; fighting waves of Metal Heads as they attempted to reach the 'sacred site.' "And hey, at least we know Avery ain't out here!" Jak glanced over at Daxter, shaking his head.

"Why would she just disappear?"

"Ah, you know how girls are. One little argument and they need their alone time and some chocolate. She'll be back." Jak didn't respond, letting himself momentarily get lost in thought.

Was it because of their disagreement? Was she upset that he tried to convince her to come with them? She had been acting strange the whole day.

Maybe the dark eco was getting to her? Having reflected on it several times himself, he could note a personal change in attitude in himself. He was slowly becoming more irritable and violent than ever, as if the monster inside of him was slowly taking over. Was the same thing happening to Avery? Was it worse for her? Jak couldn't think of any reason as to why it would be, but he wasn't willing to scratch it off the list yet.

"Uh, Jak?" Jak looked over at Daxter, who was looking up at something incredulously. Jak followed suit, looking up and matching his expression. "Is that…Is that….No, no it couldn't be…That's not…"

"It's Samos's Hut." There was no mistaking it. Despite the decay and utter ruin of it, the structure still remained the same.

"But…What? How? When? Where? Why?!" The pieces instantly fit together for Jak and his eyes widened as his heart dropped.

"We're in the future, Dax…This…horrible place…is our world!"

"But…But…That means…" The two boys let silence take over as they thought about Sandover. Everyone and everything they knew; gone. "Do you think Avery knows?" Jak let Daxter's question echo in his mind.

Did she know? How could she not, after living her for two years. But then why would she ask him about home?

"I don't think she did. When we were talking in the forest, she asked about what might be going on right now back home." Silence fell again as they thought about what_ would_ be going on. All the people they had met throughout their adventures. All the places they'd seen. Things they thought were dangerous then was all just child's play now. Replaced by something bigger, darker. The end of their world, and possibly the end of this one.

"So, we can never go back home?" The thought itself felt like a knife was tearing through Jak's heart. Were they really stuck here? All he wanted was to get his revenge and go home. This place was more trouble than it was worth. No, they got here somehow. They could get home.

"All we need to do it find Kiera and Samos. Maybe we could recreate a rift gate…" Before he could go on any farther, the communicator opened and Torn's voice came through the speaker.

"Jak, report back to the hideout. I have another mission for you." Giving him no time to respond, Torn ended the transmission.

"Hey, maybe we finally get to meet this shadow fella." Daxter climbed up to Jak's shoulder, resting an elbow on top of his head. "'bout time, too. Hey, you think Avery has met 'im?" Jak shrugged, handing Daxter his morph gun as he began walking.

"No idea. She never mentioned anything about it." After a few more minutes of walking, Jak reached into the holster for his comm. Unit and searched for the units he was connected to. "Avery is still off our network. Where could she be?"

"Ah, I'm sure she's out catching a few Z's at the forest again. She'll be back before tomorrow." Jak raised an eyebrow at Daxter's optimism, but said nothing in response. "Besides, she's a tough girl." Deciding not to follow up with pessimistic responses, Jak put his comm unit away and continued toward the gate to the city, attempting to quiet his thoughts. He kept his mind on her note, deciding it was time to give her a chance.

* * *

"This is some top of the line equipment. I'm sure you can handle it." Avery looked down at the silver gun in her hands. It was a little smaller than her Blaster, and a lot lighter. It's amo could cycle between yellow and blue attachments as she needed, and it held more ammo than even the Vulcan. The sight was used for the long range shots, which were used by adjusting the barrel, and the trigger was offset to the side for a more accurate shot.

"It's lighter. Is this thing gonna blow me away at the first shot?" Sig smirked at her, pointing to a cardboard target across the room.

"That's why I brought that guy. Shoot 'im!" Avery hesitantly took aim, bracing her body for whatever level of kickback would hit her. She aimed carefully, going for a shot to the 'heart' and slowly pulling the trigger.

She blinked and it was done, the aim precise. The cardboard was malleable enough not to shatter, leaving her with a clear visual confirmation of a perfect hit. The gun barely gave her any kickback at all, and she realized, after a moment, that her ears were not ringing. Turning to Sig, she smiled.

"This gun is mine. How much is it gonna cost?"

"Well, that's the bad part. I wish I could just give it to you, but I had _that_ custom made." Avery laid the gun on the counter, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at him.

"You had it custom made, just for me?" Sig gave her a bright, cheesy smile and she laughed. "You're too much. I'll see what I can do. Give me a price." Sig seemed to think about it for a moment, pursing his lips in that 'really-considering-it' manner of his. After a moment, he shrugged.

"We'll say about $200. That's for the whole deal and some ammo." Avery leaned against the counter, digging into one of the pouches on her belt.

"That's no problem. I've been saving up…since….my last…" She switched to another pouch, a bit more frantic. "I know I didn't spend it…"After searching yet another pouch, she froze. "Wait….did I…." Sig watched with a raised eyebrow and a mildly amused expression. "I left it at the hideout!" She groaned, throwing her arms up in defeat. "Of everything to forget,I had to forget all my cash."

"I could take ya back there to get it. Mr. Attitude won't get in my way." Avery rolled her eyes, smiling.

"No, I'll go get it. I just have to time it right." She gave Sig a quick smile before pushing herself away from the bar.

The Hip Hog was usually fairly empty, especially so early in the morning. At this time, Krew was sleeping, and Tess would wake up early to let Sig and Avery in. It was still early, and the sun was just barely shedding light over the city walls.

"Jak and Daxter should be asleep by now. If I can sneak past Torn, I'll be home free." Sig nodded in response, though she had only been mumbling to herself.

"Contact me if you need any help. I'll be taking this baby out to Dead Town to test it out a little. Ya know, warm it up." Avery laughed, waving him off.

"Yeah yeah, sure. Stay close to the entrance, I'll meet you when I'm done." With that, she left the bar, shivering at the crisp morning air.

It was starting to get cold in the city. Every once in a while, the city's pollution would act as a veil, stopping the sun's heat from reaching the ground. The city would get cold, particularly during night hours, because of this. She decided not to waste any time, due to the fact that she was not exactly dressed to deal with the cold. She immediately took a left towards the zoomer she knew always waited at the corner. The city supplied regular public transportation, and made it available at consistent sections in the city. Convenient for someone like her, who constantly needed an unplanned getaway. Hopping onto the small, fragile vehicle, she sped off towards the slums, dodging traffic and pedestrians.

Avery wasn't sure whether or not she liked the fact that the city truly never slept. No matter the time of day or night, there was always an abundance of people walking around. While at night, less people drove, she could argue that more were found walking along the streets of metal and dirt. As she entered the slums, she was immediately greeted with the sight of a man and woman, huddled close together against a building, next to a miniature fire. The sight still made her just as sad as the first homeless boy she saw in the city. She remembered when the slums weren't so run down and dirty. She wasn't sure just how the section of the city had deteriorated so horribly over the short amount of time she was there, but she seemed to be the only one to notice. It was almost like everyone else was used to it. Torn certainly wasn't surprised when she had told him about the ground collapsing and the pipelines bursting. In fact, he had just looked up at her, shook his head, and continued looking over his map of the pumping station.

She had to give him credit, though. No one knew the city like Torn. He knew every alley like the back of his hand, and save for the more hidden areas of the palace, he knew every escape route possible. She knew that was the reason he studied the maps. It was good use of his time. The shadow trusted him to send their people in with their own safety nets, just as he trusted Torn to plan out the missions. What once was the Shadow's job was honorably handed to Torn, and the man definitely deserved it. She'd never known anyone so dedicated in her life.

She pulled up to the underground hideout, parking her zoomer nearly right outside the door in prep for a quick getaway. As always, the door slid open for her. She was thankful that it was fairly quiet, and she snuck down the dark staircase, leading to an equally dark room.

Her eyes adjusted quickly, and she was able to see the dull outline of Daxter sleeping on an upper bunk. Despite this, she was reassured far more when Daxter's loud snoring filled the room. She snuck over to her bed and carefully ran her hands along the blanket, searching for her pillow. Just as her hands reached the soft, beaten down material, the sound of a click came from behind her and she froze as light filled the room.

"You here to stay?" Avery allowed herself a smile as she turned around, looking at Torn. He leaned against the back wall, lacking any cocky smirks or amusement in his eyes. He was neutral, waiting patiently for her answer.

That's probably what bothered her the most.

"I need time to myself. Away from them and you. Away from the underground." She said, shrugging as she turned back around and slipping her hand inside her pillowcase. She drew out a small, red velvet pouch and slipped it into her pocket before turning around to face Torn again.

"What are you looking for?"

"Something I left here…I found it." He rolled his eyes.

"I didn't mean at this second. Why do you need time away?" Avery smiled in response, walking up to Torn. He looked immensely uncomfortable the closer she got, and she stopped only a foot away from him. She looked up at the man who she looked at as an older brother for two years; always protecting her, always pushing her to be better, to be something more, relying on her as much as she did him. The only person she had ever worked well with, the only person who gained her absolute respect since her arrival.

"If it weren't for you, I'd be dead. Three hundred times over." She said, her voice light. Torn let a surprised look come across his features before they hardened again.

"Tell me something I don't know." She smiled widely, and did something shed never done before.

She hugged him.

Without giving him time to react or even guess at her actions, she stepped forward and slipped her arms under his, hugging him tightly, her forehead resting just barely at his chest, he was so much taller. She felt him tense for a moment, and she knew he was debating on what to do. She gave him no time to think about it, though, because she let go and stepped back, smiling up at his bewildered and uncomfortable expression.

"Trust me." She said, slapping his arm playfully before she turned, walking back toward the entrance of the underground.

She thought she was home free. She avoided confrontation with Jak and didn't have to deal with Daxter, and she dealt with a fairly passive Torn. Everything was looking good.

Until the door slid open and she took five steps out.

"Avery?" Her head whipped to the right, where Jak was walking from the mouth of the alley. Literally five steps away from him, she froze, her mind telling her to run for the zoomer, while her body stayed still.

She cursed the way he affected her.

"Where have you been?" The opportunity was just too good. She smirked, sighing dramatically.

"Well, _mom_, I thought I would, ya know, go see some ol' friends of mine." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head in annoyance.

"This is serious. You can't just run off like that. What if you got hurt?" Avoiding confrontation was on her list for the trip.

So why did he always provoke her?

"Who says I would have gotten hurt? Here I am, just fine, aren't I? I'm not some pathetic girl who constantly needs an escort." Along with her words, she sent him a rather heated glare to get her point across, causing him to look at her in surprise.

"What's your problem? What happened to the girl I used to know?" She gaped at him, fire in her eyes.

"My _problem_ is that you show up and all of a sudden, I'm a damsel in distress again! I've worked hard these past two years, and since you've shown up, you've destroyed everything I've built up!"

"I haven't done anything! You're the one getting hurt! That has _nothing _to do with me!" Avery let out a single puff of sarcastic laughter, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"You've always got to be the hero, Jak. Everyone always looks up to you, because you always know what to do. It's all _natural_, isn't it? You just do whatever your body tells you to do; you barely have to think about it." She folded her arms across her chest, looking up at the rapidly brightening sky. "I wish I could do that." Silence passed for a moment as Avery thought about her own words. Since when was working hard a problem? Proving herself as a fighter had been far more rewarding than just naturally doing things. She was a natural dancer, a great drawer. That never made her feel proud, or accomplished, or important. No, she liked working hard, proving to everyone that she was something more. She looked over at Jak, who was watching her intently. Her couldn't have been more than three feet away, nearly able to reach out and touch her without strain.

Unbeknownst to her, he was trying to convince himself _not _to do just that.

"Maybe it's the dark eco." She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone seems to think so." She shrugged half-heartedly before sighing. "Even Torn. I've been…really tired and angry…"

"Me too." He watched as she looked away again, getting lost in her own thoughts. He was both at a loss for words and unwilling to say anything else. The air was tense between them, and he knew that just with one wrong move, the friendship he'd been working to get back would be gone.

Maybe she'd leave the underground, just to avoid him.

Jak was just about to let his thoughts wander to the worst case of said situation when Avery sighed, changing her body language to a much stronger stance.

"I should get going. No use sitting here getting depressed about everything." She took a couple steps toward the zoomer, and Jak searched for something to say. Something to make her stay, something to cheer her up.

"Hey, wait!" she swung herself onto the zoomer before looking over at him, her gaze questioning. "There's an oracle…I found it after we went on that mission with Sig. It helped me….maybe it could help you?" Avery genuinely considered it, her eyes set on him while, at the same time, looking through him. It didn't take her long to make her decisions; Anything to stop whatever was happening to her.

"Sure. Where is it?" A smirk crept onto Jak's lips as her responded.

"I was actually thinking I could show you. Ya know, meet me back here tomorrow night? I'll drive." She returned the smirk, starting up the zoomer. The engine roared for only a moment before quieting down to a tolerable level.

"It's a date. See ya then!" Without a moment's hesitation she sped off, switching to the upper hover zone before she turned out of the alley. Fighting off a genuine smile, Jak shook his head and rolled his eyes before moving to return to the underground.

* * *

No, they did not meet the shadow yet. I'm kinda...working around crap...that didn't initially work out in my first draft of this chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you all take a moment to review and help me grow as a writer :)

Hoping to get things a little more involved with all of my focus char's soon. ^.^ Still having fun writing this story, so, onward!

SYANU!


	12. Chapter 12

Okay guys, I need _**your** _help!

Due to a recent review given for this story, I decided to reach out to my wonderful readers and ask for assistance!_  
_

It has been brought to my attention (Sorta, I already knew this was my weakest point ^.^;;) that my characterization is weak. If you do not understand what the reviewer meant, the review is available to be read. So, here is my personal request to all of you!

I am **_swamped_**with college and work. As it is, it's hard enough for me to add a few sentences a day. As much as I would love to sit down and write chapter after chapter (Much like how this started,) I simply don't have the time.

In relation to this, I would also love to sit down and research tips and tricks on writing and really sharpening my weak points. But I haz no time! Nor do I have the money to buy educational resources to help me.

SO! Here is where all of you wonderful people come in! Here it is:

If you know of any good websites or cheap/online books that I could look up and read in a short amount of time, send them to me in a link, preferably as a** PM.** The reason for this method is because I would like to keep reviews purely story related, rather than a bunch of links to (No, I have no clue if that's a real website or not.) However, if you are reading this and have no account, I would not mind seeing an anonymous review with a tip :)** I** **DO ASK** that when sending me the link, you provide the name of the website. (For example: Hi! Here's a link to "Writers Tips" - )

You guys will be helping me so much, and I know at least a couple of you will try :) Also, any in depth reviews of my story are welcome. I **will** read three paragraphs of pure review about my rights and wrongs in my writing. I love getting feedback. However, if you all would add suggestions or solutions, that would be incredibly helpful as well. While I always appreciate the negative feedback as much as the positive, sometimes it makes my life a little more difficult when I have to guess what my reviewers are trying to say!

I love all of you faithful readers, and I am genuinely excited to hear back from you :) I look forward to your feedback!

Thanks, and SYANU!


	13. Chapter 13

Holy Crap! Look who is alive!

*Dodges flying objects*

Yeah, okay. So It's been a while. Truth is, I've had stuff going on, and like every other human being, I prioritized. Unfortunately, that left no time to write. Recently, I've recovered (almost) from a pretty nasty depression, and college has just been kicking my ass, plus my dad is going into surgery next week. If you were to ask me how I got the inspiration back to write this chapter, I would NOT be able to tell you. It just showed up! Let's hope it lasts. I enjoy writing this story as much as you all enjoy reading it.

I'm relatively happy with this chapter, I hope it's worth your wonderful patience. I'm so, so sorry about the wait, but I hate forcing myself to write when the passion isn't there. The final result just...sucks. Anyway, please let me know what you think of this chapter, and I will get a start on the next one.

I love you all!

* * *

Avery groaned, the darkness of the room surrounding her and causing a feeling of suffocation, which only made the sharp pain in her head worse. It felt as if a brick was being smashed repeatedly against her skull, and every movement she made only sent fresh waves of agony through her. She cursed her nightmares and her exhaustion, forcing herself up into a sitting position on the dirty, rock-hard bed. It groaned underneath her, as if _it_ were the one suffering. Avery rolled her eyes at the thought. Maybe it should try sleeping on itself.

With a sigh she pushed herself off of the bed, her feet connecting with the cold, rotting wood that tried so desperately to pass as a floor. It, too, groaned under her weight, and she huffed.

"Oh, life is so hard." She snapped, as if the inanimate objects would shrink back and apologize for their misplaced grief. Instead, she was met with silence, and the ever fading memory of her dream. She stood a moment, listening to the sounds of the city just outside of the room.

For the time being, Avery had taken refuge in an apartment complex on the first floor. For the most part, the building was abandoned, most civilians preferring the cold, merciless ground of the outside world over the dirty complexes.

She wasn't far from joining them, either.

She stalked from her bed to the single window in her room, pushing aside the curtains and wincing as the surprisingly bright light from the fading sunset hit her eyes. Had she not just woken up, she would have smirked and praised her body for being such an efficient time keeper. She kept the blinds open and scanned her room, looking for her boots and shirt.

Tonight, she'd be with Jak. He'd show her the oracle, and hopefully, everything would be better.

She couldn't help the small smile as optimism began taking over her mind. Everything would be okay.

For the past week she had gone out with Sig for training. She was nowhere near where she longed to be, but she felt far better than she had a week prior. Her muscles were working once more with her movements, her speed and endurance back up to where they once were. She wanted more training with the juice rod, and her new 'toy', but she was confident that in little more than a week she could confidently work for the underground alone once more.

She strapped on her boots and slipped her shirt over her head, scowling slightly at the feeling of dried blood in several small spots. Metalhead blood. She sighed, making a mental note of the necessity of another trip to the forest. She began clipping on her effects, having just finished strapping her new gun to her back when her comm. Unit started. With a raised eyebrow she answered the incoming connection, the screen flickering to life to reveal Ace.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite racer. How ya doing, honey?" Avery smiled, pushing back her surprise of getting a call from Ace. Of _course _he would want her to race. There was no way he was going to let this one go. She had forgotten all about his request to race, and now she was backed in a corner. She had no excuse lined up to help her.

"Ace! Calling to beg me back again?"

"Ah, you know it darling!" He grinned at her, obviously hopeful of her agreement. "The class threes are in a week. I'm down a racer." Avery suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Of _course_ he was down one. Otherwise she would be able to tell him no without feeling bad. Now...

"I...guess I could race for you..." The words that left her did not match her tone, which clearly started that she would rather not. Regardless, Ace beamed, his eyes wide in excitement.

"I've got my girl back! Can't wait to see you win, honey. You'll be in the B group, be here early so we can get ya on somethin' sweet!" With a half-hearted smirk, Avery sent him a salute before the connection was ended. Clipping the unit back into its holder, she glanced back out the window to find the sky now a dark blue.

"Time to go." She muttered, checking one last time to make sure everything was where it belonged.

The air outside felt thin and bitter, the urge to shiver running through her the moment she stepped out of the door. As usual, citizens walked the streets, mostly in silence. Homeless huddled against the walls. Passing guards sent menacing looks and gestures toward the random passer-by, enjoying the overwhelming power they had over the city. Citizens weren't free. They were victims of the Baron and the guards.

Avery put her hands in her pockets, sticking close to the buildings lining the streets as she made her way through the slums. The buildings surrounding her were much more intact then the deeper area of the slums. It was as if the section of the city was growing; infecting all surrounding buildings and spreading its misery to every district. It wouldn't be long before half the city slept on the streets while the other half huddled together in broken homes, dirty and hopeless.

Avery opted to take the nearest zoomer, estimating a walk time of thirty minutes. Her body ached in various places from the hard bed, and her muscles still faintly throbbed after her intense trips outside the city walls. All in all, laziness seemed to be the most tempting choice, and who was she to turn down some time off?

There was one thing that _was_ different about the city at night. For some reason unknown to her, it was quiet. During the day, the atmosphere was louder. More…_alive._ She theorized that perhaps the occasional sunshine gave hope, or that there were still citizens who woke up each morning with a bright outlook.

She seriously doubted that.

Regardless, the night gradually became more silent, until finally the only sounds were of the holographic messages from the baron and the occasional radio message from the KG passing by. Because of this, the sound of the zoomer starting roared far too loud for her liking. Regardless, in seconds she was hovering several feet above the ground, weaving through slow traffic and paranoid drivers, following the streets she had gotten to know well. Despite their poor state, she found herself looking down at this broken, miserable place…with fondness. This city made her strong, and she realized that, deep in her heart, her passion to save the city wasn't only because of the people she had come to love, but because she had in fact began to love this place as well.

Haven City had become like a new home.

* * *

Jak had a certain attraction to mischief. Ever since he was a child, he had always found himself doing something he shouldn't. It was hard to find that spark in Sandover, his last few years there. All the mischief had been done once before, and boredom had begun to set in. Their trip to Misty Island was the final adventure, and he had known it. For years he and Daxter had put off the trip, knowing that nothing would top it after. They had been both horribly wrong and painfully correct. Sandover was no longer an adventure. There was nothing there that hadn't been explored. The homes of all the other sages were all too familiar as well, and boring in comparison to the city. The missions kept getting tougher, the air tenser. Jak felt alive.

However, through the constant firing of ammunition and sneaking around the city like the ninja his childhood-self dreamed to be, he had learned to appreciate the small adventures as well. While not so demanding on his tired body, they could be equally as stimulating to his working mind, and would provide him that long lost feeling of mischief that only happened when going against someone's word.

And although Torn would never _order_ Jak not to sneak off with Avery, going behind his back was close enough.

Currently, Jak sat on his bunk, organizing his ammunition. It was still in slight disarray from the last mission at Haven Forest, and though he had a while off to organize them, he had spent that time causing mayhem instead. Though, the bag of Metal Head skull gems were an entirely necessary part of the mayhem.

Daxter had long ago fallen asleep on the upper bunk, snoring loudly and mumbling in his sleep as was his custom. Torn was gathering papers and equipment on the table, stuffing things into a pack and not paying much mind to Jak at all. It was convenient, the fact that Torn had some sort of 'meeting' with other members of the underground. Jak certainly wasn't going to question it. This only meant less questioning when he left the hideout without Daxter on his shoulder.

Torn soon left, the door opening to reveal a rapidly darkening city. This was it. Torn would leave, and Avery would be here in no time. Jak stood, checking quickly to make sure all his ammo was in the right place. He knew that tonight would bring answers to them both. She would finally understand the dark eco, and he…

Since meeting the younger version of Samos, one question had been completely overtaking Jak's mind. Had Avery ever met him? All logic said yes, she must have. If Jak and Daxter had proven themselves after that mission as 'worthy', than she must have done the same long ago.

But…what if she hadn't?

Jak had a feeling something was wrong, and some unwelcome information would be traded that night.

He stood, stretching a bit before walking toward the door. The light amount of adrenaline running through him made his body buzz, and he smirked as he approached the door.

"Hey!" Jak froze, the shrill, slurred voice of Daxter cutting through the silence. He turned slowly to see him sitting up in bed, eyes closed but head turned in his direction. "The queens got away…." Jak raised an eyebrow and relaxed as Daxter fell back onto the bed, resuming his loud snoring. Rolling his eyes, Jak turned and swiftly climbed the stairs, wincing for only a moment as the cool night air stung his eyes.

Jak preferred the city at night. It seemed quitter and less crowded, and it was far easier to sneak around in the shadows. However, this preference was often ignored in favor of missions taking place outside the city, where the extra light was favored. Searching for objects in the moonlight did not pass by quickly. With dissatisfaction revealed by this thought, Jak walked out from the doorway, hearing the metal door slide closed behind him. He looked down the street, half expecting to see Avery turning the corner at that moment. He wasn't surprised when she didn't. However, he _was_ surprised at the sound of a rough voice from behind him.

"Waiting for something?" Turning, Jak spotted Torn just as the man moved from the shadows. Torn leaned against the doorframe tensely and held an accusatory glare. "Or are five steps all you need for a satisfying walk?" Despite the fact that he deserved it, Jak still felt the fiery heat of annoyance course through him. He returned the glare with just as much intensity, unwilling to back down from the obvious challenge Torn constantly presented.

"Don't you have some place to be?" The tone was menacing, but Torn smirked anyway.

"Just what I thought. I would advise you to keep your head on straight and your loyalties clear-"

"I have no loyalties." Jak stated quickly, his voice low. "I only want to get to the Baron." Glares were unbroken for another minute as both Jak and Torn analyzed the other. Torn was the first to break, sighing as he stood straight, his body relaxed and his shoulders back. It was a stance the young hero had never seen on the ex-guard before. He was able to observe exactly how tall Torn stood, and could see how the man was a former commander of the guard. His stance spelled strength and pride.

"She cares about this city as much as I do. We're going to need her to be active with the Underground." Having been observing the sky, Torn looked back down at the boy in front of him. Jak reminded Torn of a disobedient child, one who follows by his own rules and works for himself only. He was arrogant, proud, rash, but alive. That was more than he could say for most others in the city.

Maybe more than he could say for himself.

"I need you to convince her to reconnect her communication unit with our network. We spoke last when she came back for her money. It sounded like she was planning on taking a long…vacation. But she can't. We need to be able to contact her. This is where she belongs…where she'll be safe. Think you can do that?" Jak thought about the request, at first angered. About to defend her need for solitude, he stopped, thinking about her role in the underground. On more than one occasion she had been referred to as the 'best shot' in the underground, and Kor had mentioned her being extremely important as well.

Besides, hadn't he been planning on trying to get her back tonight, anyway?

"Was she really all that talented of a fighter?" Torn looked surprised for a moment before nodding.

"She was our top agent. I thought she was sloppy from several months of inactivity…but the program….I need someone to watch her." He locked eyes with Jak, an understood intensity in his stare. "I'm trusting you. She seems to trust you enough." Before Jak could respond, the sound of a zoomer drew closer. Torn quickly stepped back into the heavily shadowed area he had come from just as Avery turned the corner. She flew down the alley and stopped in front of Jak, grinning.

"What, no obnoxious rat on your shoulder tonight?" Jak smirked, though she could see he was thinking hard about something.

"No, he's asleep."

"Good. Maybe we can actually have some quiet for once." She jumped off of the zoomer, a single rider, and gestured toward it. "You said you would drive. Let's get this over with." Jak nodded, ignoring the urge to turn back and look for wherever Torn hid. He sat on the zoomer, feeling an odd sensation in his chest that grew as she mounted behind him, pressing herself up against him.

"Ya ready?"

"Just get me there." Jak smirked, switching hover zones and taking off.

"What's with the bag of gems?" Avery raised her voice slightly above the sound of the wind rushing by. Jak held little to no regard for the safety of everyone else as he zoomed through the city, taking sharp turns that Kiera's old model would have never been able to handle. It was no surprise, however, when the KG chose to ignore the obvious hazard before them, not once thinking that the two most wanted teenagers in the city weren't actually just another case of citizens who snapped.

"It's for the Oracle. You'll need to give it as an offering, or something." Jak was slow to respond, enjoying the relaxed nature of this trip. It was just the two of them, with no mission, no high energy Ottsel, and no KG.

Just two friends, surviving.

While Jak could appreciate it, he knew such a life wouldn't be for him. Regardless, the change was nice, for once.

The ride was spent in silence. Jak had decided not to talk about anything until after her visit to the Oracle, hopeful that it would make her feel better as immediately as he did. It seemed like only five minutes of his manic driving before they had reached the docks. The smell still hit him rather hard, and a wave of nausea would hit for a moment or two each time he entered this section of the city. Avery, however, seemed just fine. He imagined she would be well used to it, by now.

As they pulled up to the shack, Avery suddenly felt her heart beat quicken. She remembered the Oracles from the villages they visited long ago. Back then she had been terrified. The booming, powerful voice coming from such a large piece of precursor…_art_….was overwhelming to her.

Apparently, it still was.

Without a word, the two teens jumped off the zoomer and approached the shack. At the door, she hesitated, and felt Jak shove something into her hands. Looking down at the brown sac of gems, she looked up at him with confusion.

"You're not coming in?" An eyebrow raised in response, and a smirk formed on his lips.

"Don't tell me you're still afraid of these things?" She glared so quickly that he was left without doubt, and he couldn't suppress the small laugh that escaped him.

Jak's laughter was something she would never take advantage of. It had always been deep and full, and now it was rare, and precious to her.

He shook his head, amusement in his eyes as he addressed her.

"We're both full of dark eco. Probably not a good idea to have us _both_ in there." Avery sighed, sending him a disapproving look.

"Fine, but if that thing kills me, I'm haunting you forever." He rolled his eyes in amusement and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall of the neighboring shack as she tentatively walked inside.

The room was so bright that Avery winced upon entering, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes. The room was fairly plain, a rug in the center, a few pots and random objects along the sides. Much to her liking, candles surrounded her everywhere. At the back wall, taking up the majority of the space, was the Oracle. Instead of Power Cells, the eyes glowed a brilliant blue, but it looked just the same as the ones back home.

The voice was the same, too.

"Greetings, young one." She felt any remaining strength leave her as the voice of the precursors spoke, leaving her feeling small and vulnerable. "I sense darkness running through your veins." Sarcastic responses tried to push themselves to the front of her brain, but the feeling of insignificance pushed them back again. "This curse was not meant for your body, young one, and it will destroy you quickly." _Oh, that's comforting._ Her grip on the bag of gems tightened, and she took a quick glance at the door, in hopes Jak would have shown up in support. No such luck. "Present me with 25 skull gems of my enemies, the ones you call the Metal Heads, and I will reward you." Avery stood still for a moment, frozen as unpleasant thoughts flew around uncontrollably in her mind. shakily she stepped forward, kneeling in front of the statute. she remembered when Jak used to offer precursor orbs in exchange for power cells, and that he used to place them at the bowl of the statues snout. she followed his example, carefully dumping the gems into the bowl and stepping back nervously, a feeling of nervousness and awkwardness pricking her spine. she suppressed the urge to shudder.

"Find the light. It is the only thing that can rid you of the darkness. I reward you with time." A light shot out from the statue, light blue in color, engulfing her. at first she feared it would act as lightning, but she soon found it to be warm and comforting. Certain sensations started disappearing; ones she hadnt even realized we're there. nausea that had been sitting in her stomach had gone away, fatigue replaced by energy she hadnt felt in months. the slight chill left her body, and as the light disappeared, she felt entirely renewed. she looked up at the Oracle, unsure of how to feel. at first she almost felt ecstatic, but she soon remembered it's words. she wondered what it meant by "the light."

Jak pushed himself off of the Wall he was leaning against, observing her dazed look. "Avery?" her eyes met his, slightly confused at first before she offered him a smile.

"Hey, Jak..." he couldn't help the suspicious look that crossed over his features. he hadn't been so disoriented upon leaving.

"So...What happened?" he asked, slowly approaching her. She looked away from him, back to the shack.

"I think it told me that I can't handle the eco." She said, Kit taking over and a sarcastically amused puff of air escaping her with the intention of being a laugh. The loose smile she wore didn't even come close to reaching her eyes. "Said it's killing me, and fast." She looked away from the shack and down at the ground in front of her, any amusement either half of her held was entirely gone. She was dying.

Jak was silent, waiting for her to continue. The precursors, their creators, couldn't just leave her at the mercy of the eco. There must be some way, some herb or some mission or some power. There had to be something…

…right?

Just as Jak was about to let the ever present anger push forward, she spoke, calming his nerves only slightly.

"It said…there is a light I need to find, and it's the only way I could be saved." Jak's heart hammered in his chest. So there was a way to save her.

And maybe himself.

"A…light?" The only response he could find left him before he knew it, his mind already working in overdrive to solve a riddle he wasn't sure existed. Could it be that the answer was simply to find a specific light source?

No. Of course not. That would be silly.

Avery shrugged, finally looking up at him. He saw in her eyes the emotion that had left his just moments ago. Panic. It was light, and barely visible to someone who didn't understand her, but Jak had known Avery long enough. He had seen many emotions reflected in those eyes. His chest tightened as he remembered just how vulnerable she used to be. And then he realized that Avery needed him just as much now as she needed him when her mother died. Kit would deny it. But Avery knew it. That was why she still stood in front of him.

He was supposed to be the hero…right?

"You're not alone." All the thoughts in his mind were making it hard to say more than little comforting sentences. A light…

"I know…is that what it told you?" Jak had to think a moment before answering, switching his mind to focus on the conversation.

"No. It told me that the darkness would eventually destroy me, but it granted me…power…over it." Why wouldn't it do that for her…? "I can control when I change, and I can remember what happened when I do. Well, for the most part." The conversation was all too casual for being on the path to death. Avery found an odd amusement in the situation, and a small. Half-hearted chuckle left her.

"It's funny. It gave me more time…but…I feel just fine. I no longer feel tired or sick or…weak.." She said, holding her hand out in front of her as if there would be some sort of physical change. Jak frowned. Maybe the eco _was_ affecting her faster…

"Anyway, I think it's time for me to get back…" She muttered, pushing herself off the wall. Jak felt his heart quicken again. He needed to ask her, _now_.

"Avery, wait." She sighed, moving her attention back to him. "There were a couple of things I needed to talk to you about." She raised an eyebrow, glancing around.

"Here? Can't this wait?" She shook her head and mounted the zoomer, gripping the handles. "We can talk back at my room….You hopping on, or are you too much of a man to take the back seat?" Jak couldn't tell whether he wanted to smirk or to glare as he sat on the zoomer behind her. Her frame was so small that it was barely like he was sharing the zoomer at all.

"I'm not sure I trust you." He said, finally allowing a smirk. Before she could shoot an annoyed comment back at him, he leaned forward and placed his hands over hers on the bars, causing her to freeze. "Ya know, just in case you can't handle a turn." She growled, nearly causing him to laugh, and turned her head just enough to see him out of the corner of her eye.

"You're racing, I hear." She spat, leaning forward again and starting the zoomer. The engine roared to life and she immediately switched to the upper zone.

"Who told you that?" She smirked.

"A, or B?"

"I thought we were going to talk at your place?" She rolled her eyes.

"Just answer me." A moment of hesitation passed before he finally answered.

"A." She grinned.

"Good, you'll be able to see me _really_ drive." She said, willing the zoomer to move much faster than she had out of the docks. Instead of focusing on where she was headed, however, she was focused on how warm she felt. Jak's body radiated heat, feeling much like the furnace in the underground she would always sit next to whenever she was cold. Against her bare skin, which was toned but soft, she could feel his muscles just underneath the thin fabric of his shirt.

If they were back in Sandover, back where life was simple and she was wrapped up in nothing but her infatuation, now would be the moment she fainted.

But she didn't. She kept her eyes straight forward and the zoomer moving, taking a sharp right turn and switching hover zones in time to _not_ hit the oncoming zoomer.

"So, I don't think I ever got around to asking…" She started, smirking. "What the hell is with the goatee?"

"Don't like it?" He called back, and she laughed.

"You know, I couldn't tell ya."

The rest of the trip was made in silence, neither teen speaking until they were inside the building. Jak looked around her room with slight interest.

"So…this is where you've been staying?" she shut the door and shrugged, taking off the holster and throwing it on the floor next to her bed.

"It's not much but I don't need much." She said simply, sitting on her bed. She leaned back and propped herself up with her elbows, her head rolling to the side as she stared at him. "So, what did you want?" He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Gonna ask me to come back to the Underground, again?"

"Maybe." He shrugged. "You've got one, at least." She smirked triumphantly.

"Yeah, well…save your breath. I know when I'm going back." She said. She took her time yawning before continuing. "Probably after the third class races. There are some things I still want to do." He nodded slowly. To be honest, that was a far better answer than what he had expected.

"Torn wants you back on our network…"

"Torn can wait." She said, finality in her tone. "And if that was all you came for.."

"It isn't." She smiled slightly and waved him on. "Daxter and I met the shadow, the other day." Her smile dimmed, and she laid fully on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"So now you know, huh? Isn't it weird. I think…maybe that rift gate brought us to a parallel dimension, or something. Ya think?" He watched her for a moment, taking in the way her body had tensed slightly. She truly had no idea…

"You've been to Dead Town, right?" She snorted with an air of sarcasm.

"No, _never._" Rolling his eyes, he sighed.

"Okay, fair enough, have you even been to the Sacred Site?" That caught her interest, causing her to sit up and raise an eyebrow at him.

"Sacred Site? Torn never wanted me to go that far. I never found it necessary to go there. Why?"

"Torn sent Dax and I…The Metal Heads were trying to get to the site. He said there's some sort of-"

"Power source. I know about it." He nodded.

"Yeah, only the funny thing is, the site looked a lot like Samos's Hut…" he waited for her reaction, but she didn't give one. The two remained silent, staring at each other for what seemed to be hours. In reality, only a minute had gone by before she finally spoke.

"So…you think…"

"We think it _is_ his hut…that…maybe that Rift Gate took us into the future…that this _was_ our home." She looked from him to the floor, her mouth slightly open as if she were about to talk, but she couldn't find the words. She didn't want to think about it, the possibility that…

"Sandover…My dad…the beach and the animals…They're all…"

"Gone." He was careful to say the word softly. She looked like she was fine, but he knew she was acting the part of Kit. He knew inside she was breaking. Her father was dead, and as far as they knew, there was no going back. No gate to take them back.

Avery looked up as Jak sat on the bed beside her, leaning back in a similar manner and staring up at her ceiling. Again, more silence passed, Jak giving her time to think about the news. He had thought long and hard about it, the night after the mission. He had been infinitely less upset than he thought he would be. Now, he wondered if Avery felt the same. "Would you have gone back?"

"What?"

"Would you have gone back…if we had found a way?"

It was a simple question, with a simple yes or no answer. It was also the same question that had bugged her on several previous occasions. Each time, her answer had been 'not yet,' but she knew the answer Jak sought was the final call.

She found herself thinking of what Sandover had offered her. It was a calm life, which she liked. However, she couldn't say that she didn't like the fast paced life in Haven. No, she never found herself bored, or afraid to break the rules. Whether that was Kit talking or not, Avery knew she genuinely enjoyed outrunning the 'law' and risking her life for the 'greater good.'

She wasn't sure she would be able to live her old life after being immersed in this one for so long.

She had all her friends and family in Sandover, but here, she had everyone she needed. The only person she was truly missing was her father, and while that was a large deciding factor in and of itself, she knew she was not his little girl anymore.

Finally, there was the fact that all of their 'missions' back home were done. They stopped Gal and Maia. What other threat could possible arise? But here, there was a war. One she had been active in for two years. A three sided war, between the Underground, the Baron, and the Metal Heads. The Underground was short on help. No one wanted to be proactive against the man that had hundreds of guards in red suits trained to kill, and efficiently. It was well known that most of the Krimzon Guard held no mercy when given the orders to kill. Truth was, she was needed here, and if she was honest with herself, she knew that the war would continue far beyond the fall of the Baron. She could sense it.

"No." Her response was so quiet that Jak wasn't sure she had actually spoken.

"No?" She turned on her side, locking eyes with him for a moment.

"There's nothing for me there…is there? There was no room for me to…grow…"

"What about your dad?" He saw the momentary flash of sadness, but she smiled.

"I had to grow up sometime. I wouldn't have stayed in Sandover forever." She said softly. Jak could see that she was just trying to convince herself. She loved her father. His suspicions were confirmed when a tear escaped one of her eyes. She hurriedly wiped it away, hoping he hadn't noticed. When had she last cried? He pushed the question to the back of his mind. It wasn't exactly his place to ask. Instead, he moved closer to her, and she knew what he was doing.

He wanted her to be Avery. He missed Avery. He wanted the girl that ran to him for comfort, welcomed his embrace and cried into his shoulder, and then was back to smiling an hour later.

She missed it too.

She slid herself toward him in response until her head rested on his chest and his arm was around her. She could hear his fast heartbeat and feel the warmth of his body, and she felt compelled to relax and sleep off the stress. But fair was fair, and curiosity most often killed her.

"Would you?" There was a few beats of unsure silence, in which Jak asked himself this question for the hundredth time. The answer was easier than ever.

"No." Avery smiled. They were in this together. It was all she ever wanted.

And all they had to do was survive.

* * *

I hope the second half didn't feel too scattered. Anyway, Review! And you'll get a lovely shout-out like these following people;

First of all, a huge thanks to all who have followed this story ^.^

And a huge thanks to all my reviewers up to date: **Spirit01, GamerGirlAK47, XxNikkigirl123xX, Ravinae, Zero121, EcoFreakrsa17, NobodysAngel38, rachil, **Ice queen, and Just a Critic.

Your reviews help me become a better writer, and I am still taking any suggestions for ways to improve via links or such, as I have previously posted.

Don't forget to review this time!

SYANU! ^.^


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